Overview
- Jesús Ortea published the formal description on Friday naming the tiny bright red mollusc Aldisa vozinha after Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, based on Caribbean specimens from near Havana and Guadeloupe.
- The sea slug measures about four millimetres and its carmine colouration was cited by Ortea as an intentional nod to Vozinha’s man‑of‑the‑match display in Cape Verde’s 0‑0 draw with Spain and his role in reaching the Round of 32.
- Ortea is a professor emeritus at the University of Oviedo who has long worked on Cape Verde marine life and who previously named species for footballers such as Keylor Navas and Quini.
- The naming follows Vozinha’s dramatic rise in visibility during the tournament, with his Instagram reportedly growing from roughly 50,000 before the opener to about 28.5 million during the World Cup, changing his public profile and opportunities.
- The description appears in Ortea’s Historias de la Bioadversidad and highlights how taxonomic naming can serve as cultural tribute while also drawing attention to Caribbean and Cape Verdean marine biodiversity research.