Nudibranch (Variable)

Photo: Lesley Clements · CC BY-NC

The sponge-rich hull of the Manko Maru hosts a high diversity of nudibranch species, with Chromodoris elisabethina among the most frequently photographed for its vivid electric blue and white patterning. These shell-less molluscs feed on specific sponge species and their presence signals a mature, encrusted habitat typical of wrecks older than several decades. Night dives on the Manko Maru regularly reveal species not visible by day, including several cryptic dorid nudibranchs feeding actively in the dark.