About Cymbulia peronii Blainville, 1818
Cymbulia peronii Blainville, 1818 is a species of pteropod, a pelagic gastropod mollusk. It is commonly called a sea butterfly, and belongs to the superfamily Cymbulioidea. This species is found in waters concentrated around the extreme southeastern United States, the Balearic Islands of Spain, Svalbard, and offshore of Namibia. Individuals are carried by currents, and can occur at depths down to approximately 2,000 m (6,560 ft). It tolerates water temperatures between 13–27 °C (55–81 °F). Breeding and reproduction occur between June and August each year. Cymbulia peronii are protandrous hermaphrodites, a form of successive hermaphroditism where male sexual characteristics develop first, and individuals become female as they age. Reproduction happens in the planktonic environment: adults release gametes, which develop into veliger larvae, the characteristic larval form of gastropods.
