Mandela's nudibranch
Mandela's nudibranch, Mandelia mirocornata, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc, the only member of the genus Mandelia and the family Mandeliidae. The genus and family name honor Nelson Mandela, the former President of South Africa.[1]
| Mandela's nudibranch | |
|---|---|
 | |
| A close-up of an individual of Mandela mirocornata showing gill rosette | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| (unranked): | clade Heterobranchia clade Euthyneura |
| Superfamily: | |
| Family: | Mandeliidae |
| Genus: | Mandelia Valdés & Gosliner, 1999 |
| Species: | M. mirocornata |
| Binomial name | |
| Mandelia mirocornata Valdés & Gosliner, 1999 | |
Distribution
This species has so far only been found around the southern African coast from the Atlantic coast of the Cape Peninsula[2] to Port Elizabeth in 10–400 m of water. It is probably endemic.[3]
Description
Mandela's nudibranch has a bumpy dirty white to brown skin. It has black spots scattered over the notum. Its gills and rhinophores are large and creamy-coloured. The rhinophores are perfoliate, but are oblong rather than round. The animal may also have irregular brown stripes rather than spots on the notum, radiating out to the margins. It may reach a total length of 70 mm.[4]
Ecology
This species feeds on sponges.
References
- Valdés À. & Gosliner T. M. (1999). "Phylogeny of the radula-less dorids (Mollusca, Nudibranchia), with the description of a new genus and a new family". Zoologica Scripta 28: 315-360. doi:10.1046/j.1463-6409.1999.00014.x.
- Biodiversity Explorer Website, Accessed 23 August 2009
- GOSLINER, T.M. 1987. Nudibranchs of Southern Africa ISBN 0-930118-13-8
- ZSILAVECZ, G. 2007. Nudibranchs of the Cape Peninsula and False Bay. ISBN 0-620-38054-3