User:Jessiedylan/Peronia verruculata

Lead
P. verruculata is in the Onchidiidae family, belonging to a clade of eupulmonates.

Distribution
This species is distributed in the Indian Ocean along Madagascar as well as the West-Indo Pacific, between South Africa and Hawaii. It Is also observed in subtropical regions of Japan, and widely distributed in China.

Habitat
The P. verruculata resides in sandy, rocky habitats, preferring intertidal reef flats. They are also found grazing the mud in mangrove tree roots during low tide. During high tide, they are dormant, staying in the holes they make, coming out during low tide to eat the algae covering the rocks. Peronia have preferred eating areas, so they will continue to return to that same area to feed.

Anatomy
Peronia is around 6 cm in length and is oval shaped. The dorsal surface is a brown color with a leathery appearance, due to the wart-like nodules that help with water retention. Some of these wart-like nodules having their own parts, like dorsal eyes or brachial gills. This species has been identified by its green-colored hyponotum, knobbly papillae on the dorsum bearing eyes, and differentiated tubercles on posterior dorsum. Their dorsal eyes working as photoreceptors. P. verruculata are closely related to land snails as they have modified gills, the mantle cavity divided and modified to act as a lung. They have a broad foot, their anterior end possessing tiny eyes with a pair of long fleshy stalks, which can be sucked into the body when they sense any disturbance nearby. Protruding these stalks back into their body also allow them to blend in with the rocks, matching both texture and color.

Reproduction
P. verruculata are hermaphrodites, having both reproductive organs, but have no records of self-fertilization. Shortly after mating, their egg capsules are laid, hatching after 16 days as free-swimming larvae.

Human Use
In the Ryukyu Islands of Japan, the Peronia are a traditional food source as they are usually abundant at the shore lines. They’re usually collected raw and made into sashimi or stir fried. Peronia are also popular in other Asian countries like China, where they are being over harvested because they were a highly nutritious food source.