The manda (Manmosuda ioulos) is a salamander, the largest member of Amphiumidae, and the only extant species in the genus Manmosuda. Manda are native to the Southern United States, inhabiting estuaries and brackish wetlands along the Gulf Coast. Manda are ambush predators that feed on a wide variety of animals, including bass, catfish, small mammals, birds, turtles, other amphibians, blue crabs, and ebirah craylings. They themselves are occasionally preyed upon by American alligators and humans.

The name ‘manda’ is the shortened version of ‘manmosuda’, a portmanteau formed from the Japanese words ‘manmosu’ (mammoth) and ‘da’ (serpent) used in its scientific name - in reference to the creature’s mane of hair-like dermal papillae and serpentine body.

Manda are frequently hunted and served in local restaurants - their meat is often compared to alligator, tasting like a cross between chicken, fish, and frog legs. However, these salamanders cannot be farmed due to their massive size and great dietary demands. Instead, they must be wild-caught, which has led to a population decline in recent years and the conservation status of threatened.

Manda were viewed as supernatural entities, rumored by natives to be guardians of a lost undersea empire known as Mu. By living in estuaries between rivers and ocean, manda represented a barrier or gate - and by attacking those who neared their territories, they were preventing unauthorized access to the ocean and entry into Mu.