Unyozeo (uˈɲːzøˌo)

Raron salt snail

plural: unyozeoaa

The defining animal of Lake Raro and the surrounding area is the unyozeo, a type of saltwater snail that survives in the hypersaline inland sea. Originally, these creatures were ubiquitous and easily farmed, but several generations ago the water grew to be too salty even for them to survive, so they died off. It is only in recent years that they have returned in large enough populations that they can be harvested. They are revered for their connection with the land, eaten as part of a daily diet, and their purple shells are used to create decorative objects or dyes.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Unyozeo are slimy creatures with a strong mucousy body that lives coiled inside a hardened shell. The shell is purple and pink as a natural consequence of the hypersalinity and the other life that lives in the sea. They can hide their bodies in the sand and use the color of the water as camouflage, even if their primary defense is their hardened shell.

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Genetics and Reproduction

An unyozeo snail has both sets of reproductive organs and can lay up to 1000 eggs.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Unyozeoaa are mostly carnivorous. They also eat the sand in the water which can help build up the calcium needed for their shells. Their primary diet are sea worms but they also cannibalize each other, especially eating eggs from another.

Additional Information

Uses, Products & Exploitation

The unyozeo is a staple of Raron culture. In the Golden Age, they numbered in the millions of animals and could be cultivated easily. Fishermen could scoop the snails out by the netful with minimal effort. They were a staple in Raron diets, prized as decorative objects by the people in the Veins to the North, and crushed to make rich purple dye.
The most common way to eat unyozeoaa is baked with layers of fat and breadcrumbs, but they can also be pulverized into a paste and served raw.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Unyozeoaa only exist in Lake Raro. There are related species of snails that exist along the seabridge to the northern sea, but they are easily distinguished. Only unyozeoaa have the distinct purple shell. Other species are often yellow or green.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Four tentacles stick out from the top of the unyozeo body outside of the shell. These tentacles have eyes on each end, but their primary method of obtaining sensory information is through olfaction through the tentacles.

Lifespan

10 years

Conservation Status

Protected

Average Length

12cm

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The shell is a deep purple and the body of the snail itself varies from intense pink to a pale pink.

Geographic Distribution

• Lake Raro