Wonder how the Spanish dancer, or Hexabranchus sanguineus, got
its common name? When it swims, the frilled edges of its mantle
resemble the color and movement of the skirts of a flamenco
dancer. When they're not swimming, Spanish dancers crawl along
relatively flat surfaces with the edges of their mantle tucked
up close to their bodies (see the picture). They feed on sponges
and can produce a toxic chemical to protect themselves from
predation. Today’s Oil Spill Quote of the Day features Elizabeth
Griffin Wilson, one of our very own scientists: From yesterday’s
Guardian: Some 1,020 sea turtles were caught up in the spill,
according to figures (pdf) today – an ominous number for an
endangered species. Wildlife officials collected 177 sea turtles
last week – more than in the first two months of the spill and a
sizeable share of the 1,020 captured since the spill began more
than three months ago. Some 517 of that total number were dead
and 440 were covered in oil, according to figures maintained the
Deepwater Ho