Stegopus

## Stegopus primus

**Info**

Status: NT

Temporal Range: R.150 - Present (Oliverian)

Habitat: Tropical Shallows, Temperate Shallows, Tropical Upper Ocean, Temperate Upper Ocean

Distribution: Cosmopolitan

Niche: Benthic Filter-Feeder

Size: 5cm (length)

Nutritional Worth:

Predecessor: Enapodus ferocochleus

Classification: Enapodusinae (sf), Enapodusidae (f), Malacoidea (so), Violetamata (sc), Bilateria (p)

Perception: Decent vision with no depth perception either side, can sense chemicals up to ten metres away with accuracy.

Latest Mutations: Shell Space

Info: This critter crawls slowly across the bottom of the sea, using its muscular foot covering the ventral portion of its body to move. When it finds a profitable area, it can stick to the rock by releasing sticky mucus.

Intelligence / Behaviour: Processes information and responds based on fixed behaviours. It knows to eat and avoid being harmed. The female responds to the stimuli of producing eggs by embedding them in her tentacles and tucking the tentacles under her body.

External Features: It has a cylindrical body covered almost completely covered on the back by a calcium carbonate shell with red pigmentation. It also has a ventral fleshy membrane and two pectoral ray-fins under the body. It has a thin skin layer. A mouth with chemoreceptors and two tentacles along with a pair of stalks with an eye on each side are on the head. There are mucus glands on the underside of the muscular foot which takes up the ventral side.

Internal Features: Each cell contains lysozymes in addition to enzymes. Three gill slits sit each side of the head. There is a space in the shell for the snail to retreat into. Muscles line each side of the body. The gastrointestinal tract from the mouth has a stomach with digestive juices followed by intestines leading tothe anus. A brain encased in head connects to one nerve cords which branches into a network of nerves, with a notochord running alongside. It hosts both male and female gonads. The hemacoel cavity, open circulatory system has violet blood containing hemerythrin and anti-freeze proteins. Protonephridia, connected to hemacoel, expels waste through pores.

Discoverer: StealthStyle

**Stats**

Nutritional Worth: (10 x 5 =) 50NP

Food / Oxygen Requirement: 24NP / 40NP

Physical Stats: Speed = 0.8, Stamina = 1, Agility = 1, Inflexibility = 3, Attack = 1, Defence = 1 (calcium carbonate on back), Strength = 1.5, Support = 1, UV Resistance = 1 (Weak), Filtration = 2

Systemic Stats: Osmoregulation = 1 (high salinity), Respiration = 2 (cutaneous respiration, ram ventilation), Digestion = 2 (microbes), Circulation = 1, Excretion = 1, Immune System = 1 (physical barrier), Coordination = 1, Reflexes = 1.

Abilities: Permeable Skin. Below Freezing Metabolism. Fluid Freeze Prevention. Produces Sticky Mucus.

Perception: Sight. Detects chemicals up to tens of metres away.

Locomotion Type: Muscular Foot.

Reproduction: Sexual, Ovuliparity (External Fertilisation). 1,000 eggs. Hermaphroditism.

Intelligence / Behaviour: Processes information and responds based on fixed behaviours. It knows to eat and avoid being harmed. The female responds to the stimuli of producing eggs by embedding them in her tentacles.

External Features: Cylindrical body covered almost completely covered on back by calcium carbonate shell (6NP, +1 Defence, +3 Inflexibility, -1 Speed) with red pigmentation (3NP, +Weak UV Resistance), two pectoral ray-fins (5NP, +1 Agility, -0.2 Speed) under the body. Thin skin layer (3NP, +1 Immune System, +1 Respiration, +Permeable Skin). A mouth (+1 Filtration) with chemoreceptors (1NP, +2 Chemoreception) and two tentacles (5NP, +1 Attack, +1 Filtration) and a pair of stalks with an eye on each side (4NP, +Sight) are on the head. There are mucus glands (4NP) on the underside of the muscular foot (10NP, +1 Speed) which takes up the ventral side.

Internal Features: Each cell contains lysozymes (3NP, +Below Freezing Metabolism) in addition to enzymes. Three gill slits each side of head (8NP, +1 Respiration). There is a space in the shell for the body to retreat into. Muscles on each side attached to body wall (10NP, +1 Speed, +1 Strength, +0.5 Support). Gastrointestinal tract from mouth has stomach with digestive juices (4NP, +1 Digestion) followed by intestines (4NP, +1 Digestion) leading to exit. Brain (6NP, +1 Coordination) encased in head connects to one nerve cords which branch into network of nerves (8NP, +1 Reflexes). Notochord runs alongside (3NP, +0.5 Support, +0.5 Strength). Male and female gonads (6NP, +Sexual Reproduction, +Hermaphroditism). The hemacoel cavity, open circulatory system (+1 Stamina, +1 Circulation) has violet blood containing hemerythrin and anti-freeze proteins (3NP, +Fluid Freeze Prevention). Protonephridia (4NP, +1 Excretion, +1 Osmoregulation), connected to hemacoel, expels waste through pores.