(I was very generous with this one and gave you guys a reroll or two since the first two were REALLY BAD. I mean like you had one partial upgrade out of them all. BAD. You got a pretty nice one at the end though. I probably won't do this again ever though
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Evolution attempts:
Trilateral symmetry- 4 Better eyes- 4 Basic intelligence- 4 Thicker skin- 6 Improved toxins- 6 Digestive system- 1 Lateral line- 5
As though quickfin wasn't an evolutionary leap, Suprafloorum trisym takes another giant jump through time. It's most major changes are its thicker skin. It is now impervious to applied toxins and spearing, however its insides are soft and can be killed should something get inside(toxins for example). Further, its tentacles are softer than the rest of its surface, while still stronger than previous they can still be speared or toxins introduced through them. Its skin is strong enough to rival the Quadfins. Further, its toxins have grown far more powerful, and will kill any creature it should envenom within an hour of the application. The only exclusion is Tentaclaws, while not immune to the toxins anymore, they retained a bit of their earlier immunity. They will however die 70% of the time from the toxin.
Some less notable changes but still important are the fact that it is now trisymmetric. This offers few disadvantages, excluding speed as the fins have not entirely caught up in musculature changes, and as such tends to be more clumsy than before. Regardless they are still the fastest known creatures as of now. They also have developed more effecient eyes, they can see large shapes clearly but small shapes are very blurry and sometimes confused or missed altogether. Color is still not apparent. Their trisymmetry also allows the eyes to see almost any direction, excluding directly behind them. Further, the lateral lines have improved, so they can detect nearby critters of any size, at a range of around a kilometer. Lastly among these lesser changes and perhaps the most important of them is a basic brain. Trisyms exhibit a basic intelligence, but lack any form of problem solving skills, logic or social skills. The intelligence only exhibits primitive thoughts to the tune of "Eat, sleep, mate, hide" or such. They also possess a basic form of memory, a small number of things remembered long term. This does however give them a considerable advantage over their competition.
With all their evolutionary jumps however, parts of them have atrophied. Their digestive system has (somehow) become more primitive in one sense, more complex in another. Trisyms will extend a sac from within themselves to absorb prey. The sac is unnaturally elastic and can stretch to fit creatures of up to forty centimeters despite being only approximately seven centimeters itself. This is more complex than previously, but a major drawback is the Trisym is mostly immobilized while this happens, and the sac is extremely soft and vulnerable. Should it be attacked, the Trisym could quickly die of exsanguination, or choose to detach the stomach sac, which does not cause total exsanguination. However the Trisym cannot consume prey until the stomach sac regenerates, and will die of malnutrition if it cannot get proper sunlight through its tentacles. In larger Trisyms, death is almost assured following either circumstance.
New species continue to crop up frequently. The next species to show up proves a considerable threat, however, to the Trisyms uncontested existence. A relative of the Tentaclaw, Suprafloorum polycrinis, called Crinis for short, and is roughly translated to mean many tentacles. Each tentacle is only about a centimeter in diameter, but close to thirty centimeters long. It is estimated to have somewhere near thirty tentacles, each with a small pair of claws or teeth on the end, almost resembling mandibles. When it finds prey it will latch onto it and slowly eat at the body of the creature with each mandible. Given the number of tentacles, its no surprise that it can consume even large amounts of prey in relatively short times, even being able to eat multiple prey at once. Its mandibles can not pierce the Trisyms main body but are fully able to remove one of their tentacles. Fortunately however, the tentacles toxins are sometimes able to immobilize the Crinis before the tentacle is completely severed, but not always. They are decently fast but can be outswam by Trisyms and our intelligence is superior. Their skin is softer than ours, and can be pierced by Tentaclaws, but thick enough that our toxins cannot invade their body by merely contact, only by consumption will they get a dosage. They are about our size, however, perhaps slightly smaller. Given our cannabalistic nature, our numbers could be threatened should they find a way to pierce our skin. Otherwise they don't pose an overwhelming threat... yet.
GENERATION 6:
(Suprafloorum) trisym
A large, clear, tentacled and trilaterally symmetric jelly 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 7 tentacles, and each tentacle absorbs light in photosynthesis, but are also laced with a decent toxin which paralyzes anything which comes in contact with it. Each tentacle is close to 20 centimeters long.
SOCIAL: Completely socially
awkward detached.
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.
REPRODUCTION: Budding. The buds detach after reaching about 3 millimeters in dimensions and then float to a short distance away before growing into their own blob. About three buds grow at a time, and the time for each bud to grow to the point of detachment is about one day.
MOVEMENT: Is currently the fastest known creature in the environment. Its fins allow it to propel itself quickly through the environment.
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 then takes place.
PREDATION: Tentaclaws are developing a toxin immunity, and because of this are able to prey on us more and more frequently. They are not entirely immune, and consuming a Quickfin tends to leave one immobilized for up to a day in extreme cases. Usually tentaclaws die from it.
COMPETITION: The Crinis population poses a growing threat, but as of currently they don't show anything too dangerous.
INTELLIGENCE: Basic intelligence. They lack problem solving and logic skills, but possess a basic memory.
TOXINS: Neurotoxin- affects Tentaclaws (70-80% effectiveness) Quadfins (100% effectiveness) Crinis (100% effectiveness)
ENVIRONMENT: A shallow sub-tropical sea. Small reefs exist here, with a rare frond interspersed between the reef ridges. Much of the reef is dark, overshadowed by the growing populations above. The environment is at around 60% of its biomass capacity.
Current environment: Shallow sub-tropical sea.
Nearby environments: Beach, deeper sub-tropical sea, river delta
(Gave you guys some extra challenges this time. Hope you can think a way around the Crinis problem because they will get stronger soon
just a warning
Also, feel free to suggest the eye tip tentacle... things again. I got confused and may have miscounted because a bunch of people voted them then a bunch downvoted them... Sorry if I did miscount, and if I did I'll make it up to you
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Topic: Competition II - New Life (Read 24496 times)