Traxoglossus

## Traxoglossus cochleus

Latest Mutations: Herbivorous Digestion, Radula

Often found sticking to rocks covered in algae, Traxoglossus is a slow, but well-defended herbivore, occupy a niche similar to gastropods on Earth. To eat the algae, a tongue-like radula is protracted from the mouth and used to scrape food. While it eats small algae coverings, larger herbivores like Protichthys eat the fronds of large algae.

Status: LC

Habitat: Tropical Shallows, Temperate Shallows

Niche: Herbivore

Size: 5cm (length)

Nutritional Worth: (104/10 x 5 =) 52NP

Food / Oxygen Requirement: 25NP / 42NP

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

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

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. A rough radula is housed in the mouth. 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, with vegetation-digesting microfauna, leading to the 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.

Locomotion Type: Muscular Foot.

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

Castes/Phases: Hermaphroditism.

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 = 1

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

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. A rough radula (2NP, -1 Filtration) is housed in the mouth. 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), with vegetation-digesting microfauna, 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.

Temporal Range: R.156 - Present (Oliverian)

Distribution: Cosmopolitan

Predecessor: Stegopus primus

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

Lifespan: 1 - 2 years.

Discoverer: StealthStyle