Mandela's nudibranch | |
---|---|
A close-up of an individual of Mandela mirocornata showing gill rosette | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Mollusca |
Class: | Gastropoda |
Order: | Nudibranchia |
Superfamily: | Phyllidioidea |
Family: | Mandeliidae |
Genus: | Mandelia Valdés & Gosliner, 1999 |
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]
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]
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]
The body is dirty white or pale brown with irregular solid black spots and a bumpy surface texture. In water, the oblong, creamy rhinophores (chemosensory tentacles) are visible. The dorsal surface is often translucent, partially revealing internal organs. The body is white to cream with brown or black blotches, accompanied by creamy rhinophores and gills. [5]
This species feeds on sponges.
Limacia clavigera, sometimes known by the common name orange-clubbed sea slug, is a sea slug, a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.
Pleurobranchaea bubala, the warty pleurobranch, is a species of sea slug, specifically a sidegill slug or notaspidean. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Pleurobranchaeidae.
The frilled nudibranch, Leminda millecra, is a species of metarminid nudibranch, and is only found in South Africa. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Charcotiidae.
The chocolate-chip nudibranch, Aphelodoris sp. 1, is an undescribed species of dorid nudibranch as designated by Gosliner, 1987. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dorididae. As of November 2009, it was undescribed by academics.
The brown-spotted nudibranch, currently known simply as Aphelodoris sp. 2, is an undescribed species of dorid nudibranch as designated by Zsilavecz, 2007. As of November 2009, it remains undescribed by science. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Dorididae.
Rostanga elandsia, is a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae.
The three-spot nudibranch, scientific name Aldisa trimaculata, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cadlinidae.
Goniobranchus heatherae, the red-spotted nudibranch, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
The Cape dorid is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
The inkspot nudibranch, Ceratosoma ingozi, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Chromodorididae.
The brown-dotted nudibranch, Cadlina sp.2, as designated by Gosliner, 1987, is a species of colourful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Cadlinidae.
The fiery nudibranch, Okenia amoenula, is a species of colourful sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae.
The giraffe spot nudibranch, Ancula sp., as designated by Gosliner, 1987, is a species of colourful sea slug, specifically a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Goniodorididae. As of November 2009, it remained undescribed by science.
The crowned nudibranch is a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.
Polycera quadrilineata, is a sea slug, a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae. The specific epithet quadrilineata means four-lined and refers to the four longitudinal black lines present on the original specimen. This species is sometimes called the fourline nudibranch. In 2020 a integrative molecular and morphological study showed that P. quadrilineata was a complex of two species in the NE Atlantic and one of these species was given the new name Polycera norvegica.
The twin-crowned nudibranch, scientific name Polycera sp., as designated by Gosliner, 1987, is a species of dorid nudibranch. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae. As of November 2009, it was undescribed by science.
Kaloplocamus ramosus, the tasselled nudibranch, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, and a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Polyceridae.
The black nudibranch is a species of colorful sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a shell-less marine gastropod mollusk in the family Polyceridae. This species is endemic to South Africa.
Rostanga phepha, is a species of sea slug, a dorid nudibranch, a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Discodorididae.
Notobryon thompsoni, the iridescent bluespot nudibranch, is a species of scyllid nudibranch, and is found in South Africa. It is a marine gastropod mollusc in the family Scyllaeidae.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) This article incorporates textfrom this source, which is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.