Mandela's nudibranch
A dorid nudibranch named after Nelson Mandela.
Mandela's nudibranch, *Mandelia mirocornata*, is a type of dorid sea slug. This marine gastropod mollusc is the sole species in both the genus *Mandelia* and the family Mandeliidae. The names of the genus and family were chosen to honour Nelson Mandela, South Africa's former president.
So far, this species has been recorded only along the southern African coast, from the Atlantic side of the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth, in water depths between 10 and 400 metres. It is likely endemic to that region.
The animal's skin is bumpy and ranges from dirty white to brown. Black spots are scattered across its back (notum), and its gills and rhinophores are large and creamy in colour. The rhinophores are perfoliate but oblong rather than round. Instead of spots, some individuals have irregular brown stripes that radiate out to the edges of the body. It can grow up to 70 millimetres in total length.
Key identifying traits include a dirty white or pale brown body with irregular, solid black spots and a bumpy surface. Underwater, the oblong, creamy rhinophores (chemosensory tentacles) are visible. The dorsal surface is often translucent, partly revealing internal organs. The body is white to cream with brown or black blotches, alongside creamy rhinophores and gills.
This nudibranch feeds on sponges.
Quick Facts
- Taxon
- Mandelia
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
This species has so far only been found around the southern African coast from the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth in 10–400 m of water, and is probably endemic. Its body is dirty white to brown with a bumpy skin, and it has black spots scattered over the notum. The gills and rhinophores are large and creamy-coloured; the rhinophores are perfoliate but oblong rather than round. The animal may also have irregular brown stripes rather than spots on the notum, radiating out to the margins, and may reach a total length of 70 mm. The dorsal surface is often translucent, partially revealing internal organs. This species feeds on sponges.
Reader's Guide
Mandela's nudibranch is notable as the only member of its genus and family, both named after Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa. Its distribution is limited to the southern African coast, from the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula to Port Elizabeth, in waters 10–400 m deep, and it is probably endemic to that region. The species feeds on sponges, and its physical description includes a bumpy dirty white to brown skin with black spots or irregular brown stripes, large creamy gills and oblong perfoliate rhinophores, and a translucent dorsal surface that may reveal internal organs. It can reach a total length of 70 mm. The naming honors Mandela, linking the species to a prominent historical figure, and its restricted range underscores its potential vulnerability as a localized marine gastropod.
Did You Know?
- Mandela's nudibranch is the only species in the genus *Mandelia* and the family Mandeliidae.
- The genus and family name honor Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa.
- It feeds on sponges and can reach a total length of 70 mm.
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