Mandasuchus tanyauchen was named by Charig (1967). Its type specimen is NHMUK PV R6792, a partial skeleton, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is B5 of Stockley, 11b of Parrington, West of Irundi, which is in an Anisian fluvial-lacustrine sandstone/marl in the Manda Beds Formation of Tanzania. It is the type species of Mandasuchus.