Evolution attempts:
Neurotoxin laced stingers 1 (again no way to devolve so neurotoxin is weakened again)
More tentacles 5
Prehensile tentacles 4
Filter feeding the bottom 2 (adjusted to as to make more sense to everyone)
Solet (sunlet) subcaste 4
After generations of strife with the Vincul, the Arrowhook species has experienced a generation of peace. They also have developed a couple new notable changes. First and foremost is a restructuring of their shoaling. Shoal sizes remain the same, and as do the number of the budlets in their shoal. However, around 5 of every 50 budlets will develop into a new caste called the Solet caste. These organisms are biologically identical to the Arrowhook, but much larger as well as mostly stationary. Their main difference is in their anatomy and consumption methods. Their dimensions are roughly 60 centimeters wide, 40 centimeters long, though only about 20 centimeters tall. They contribute a lot to biomass, but their very small numbers make up for it. Their key feature is utter reliance on photosynthesis. This is why their surface area is so massive, so they can absorb more light. They possess a number of tentacles numerating in the hundreds, but they are all very tiny, measuring only about four to five centimeters tall each, and one centimeter long and wide. The Solets grow these throughout their life as a food source for the Arrowhooks, and regrow them over the course of around three days after one is consumed. The Arrowhooks, in return, protect them and move them to better grounds as requested by the Solets via electric impulses. The Solets know where the best light sources are and will generally request moving there. Unfortunately as there are only 7 adult Arrowhooks in a shoal at any given time, this can occupy a great deal of their time, but the reward of their food is generally worth it. The only way, however that they can be moved is by the tentacles of the Arrowhook, which grab onto the Solet and drag it to wherever it wishes.
That behavior can only occur thanks to another adaptation, prehensile tentacles. Arrowhooks possess the ability to grab onto or grapple with anything that should please them. Occasionally they may take a piece of coral back to their territory and use it to decorate, fostered by their intelligence. This also could aid them in feeding off of live organisms, as once they latch on the prey would have a great deal of difficulty escaping, especially since the number of tentacles they have has increased quite a lot. Each tentacle is much smaller than before, only around 15 centimeters each, but they have close to 20 or 30 tentacles now. The only negative thing which has occurred to the Arrowhooks is a continuing decline in their neurotoxins effectiveness due to a lack of pressure on it. The neurotoxin has decreased to around 60% general effectiveness on most organisms.
GENERATION 11:
(Prosperum) arrowhook
A large, clear, tentacled, finned and trilaterally symmetric scaled blob. Their skin is extremely tough and they have 4 pairs of fins. They absorb food through the skin, and is dissolved in the inner body fluids. It is around 15 centimeters in height, 20 centimeters long and 10 centimeters wide. They have a number of tentacles from 20 to thirty, and each tentacle absorbs light in photosynthesis, but are also laced with a powerful toxin which paralyzes most things that come in contact with it. Each tentacle is close to 15 centimeters long. The fins are streamlined and encounter almost 0 water resistance.
SOCIAL: Has a shoaling social structure. There are 7 adult Arrowheads in a single shoal, but up to as many as 50 or so budlets in a shoal. Each shoal is very emotionally bonded and will protect each other to the death if possible, and death of an Arrowhead leaves the others very depressed for weeks. They will take a territory area together and live in it until they die, as the hunt together and live together. A dead Arrowhead will not be replaced and all shoals eventually collapse, leaving room for other shoals to rise.
SENSES: Can detect electric impulses in the water of most degrees, but faint ones are usually still missed. Their eyes can tell most shapes, but small shapes or creatures are generally ignored. Because of their trisymmetry, they can see almost everywhere except for directly behind them. Can also project electric impulses at a range of around 500 meters.
REPRODUCTION: Projectile embryotic injection. Around a hundred sex cells are delivered any time a fired tentacle pierces a target. These cells invade the tissues and deliver their DNA. After a gestation period of around a week, the embryos reach around five centimeters in all dimensions and cause the host to burst. Only 20-40 will survive to adulthood, however.
MOVEMENT: Is currently the fastest known creature in the environment. Its streamlined fins allow it to propel itself extremely quickly, estimated 25-50 km/h.
EATING: It absorbs cells floating through the water. It will also prey upon the corpses of dead blobs. Its tentacles can create sugars from light with photosynthesis. The toxins which the tentacles carry can potentially kill other creatures, usually does not though, exceptions are those who are weak or young. Paralyzed but living creatures fall down to the blob's main body where endocytosis via the stomach sac then takes place.
PREDATION: The Arrowheads are unpredated.
COMPETITION: They are largely uncompeted.
SYMBIOSIS: They have reverse parasitised the Vincul, while not fully symbiotized, symbiosis between the species is made easier because of this.
INTELLIGENCE: Powerful intelligence. Has great problem solving skills and logic, and an excellent memory. Also possesses the ability to emit electrical signals through its lateral lines at a frequency that is only interpretable by other Arrowheads (as of right now). This gives them a coordinating factor.
TOXINS: Neurotoxin- Vincul (75% effective)
CASTES: Solet caste- A stationary, photosynthetic caste which produces food for the Arrowhooks to consume. They are far larger than the Arrowhooks, or any creature known currently.
POPULATIONS: Vincul(20%), Arrowhook (60%), Solet (12%), Crinis (negligible, estimated .01-.4%), Quadfin (negligible/nonexistent)
ENVIRONMENT: A shallow sub-tropical sea. Semi-stable reefs exist here, with a very rare frond interspersed between the reef ridges. Much of the reef is dark, overshadowed by the growing populations above. The ground is rarely found with a Vincul nest lying upon it, with their burrow nearby. The environment is at around 92% of its biomass capacity.
Current environment: Shallow sub-tropical sea.
Nearby environments: Beach, deeper sub-tropical sea, river delta
(I named the Sunlets into Solets, I think it sounds smexier. If you guys prefer it the other way, I'll change it back. Also added a couple new tags to the creatures description, CASTES, POPULATIONS. I added SYMBIOSIS last update.)
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Topic: Competition II - New Life (Read 24541 times)