Evolution attempts:
Adjustable shoal size (food rel.)-2
Infected members pruning-3
Regeneration-5
Electric shock ability-3
End cannabalising-6
Pherimonic vinling repellent-1
Neurotoxin laced stinger-1 (no way to reverse evolution on this, so I'll be generous
)
Reverse-parasitism of vinlings-6
The situation for the Arrowheads is beginning to turn upwards. Despite the discovery of the Vincul's ability to
reanimate the dead, two major evolutions have aided them incredibly; Cannabalisation has ceased altogether, for dead or live Arrowheads and due to the intelligence of the Arrowheads the bodies of dead Arrowheads are put away (buried, hidden, etc), or destroyed so as to prevent reanimation by the Vincul. This has increased the numbers of Arrowheads and their numbers are combating the Vincul/Crinis population. Further, a second evolution allows them to reverse-parasitise the Vincul; the Arrowheads have developed inlets in their body which allow the Vincul to tear into them. These inlets are very fleshy, but wounds to them are unlikely to cause the Arrowhead to bleed out. The areas around the inlets are extremely toxic and will likely paralyze anything that should come in contact with this toxin, but the toxins are located under the scales only. This allows the Vincul to tear into the Arrowheads directly, and release the vinlings. However, upon entry to the Arrowheads body the Arrowhead releases numerous electric signals in their body by the lateral lines along their sides. These signals very quickly pacify the vinlings and in fact reverses their effect; they clambor back out and into the Vincul which released them, and control the nervous system. The Arrowheads are then capable of controlling them via their electric pulses from their lateral lines. However the range is not long distance and a range of more than around 500 meters tend to lose the signal. Vincul which are detached over long periods of time tend to die from malnutrition, and Arrowheads do not possess the ability to reanimate. Any vinlings under the Vincul that gets reverse-parasitised cease function, and the host dies shortly after.
Arrowheads also possess decent regeneration abilities now. Projectile-reproduction has become very common and their numbers are beginning to swarm the environment. Tentacles will regrow after a period of about two weeks, with all the organs and photosynthetic abilities ready to go. Also the inlets which are used to reverse-parasitise the Vincul will fully heal after a period of about a day, given they are mostly flesh.
However their evolution has backstepped in some areas. Their neurotoxin has not been of much use over the past several generations, and pressure on the members of the population with strong toxins has decreased. Overall effectiveness of the neurotoxin has decreased by about 25%, but it is still sufficient to paralyze most creatures.
Because, however of the reverse parasitism of the Vincul, the entire Crinis population has collapsed. Few that were not dominated already existed, and their numbers decreased as the number of reverse dominated Vincul increased. Very few Crinis still exist. However, the Vincul are not intelligent enough, or lack sufficient social structure/communication to relay the fact that attempting to control the Arrowheads results in reverse parasitism, and they cannot be warned unless a number of Vincul should see it happen. However, they work alone and it is unlikely that such should happen. The Vincul population is still high, but their numbers have decreased massively, and their threat of overtaking the Arrowheads has passed, for now.
GENERATION 10:
(Imperution) arrowhead
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 7 tentacles, 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 20 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/Crinis (75% effective)
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/Crinis nest lying upon it, with their burrow nearby. The environment is at around
87% of its biomass capacity.
Current environment: Shallow sub-tropical sea.
Nearby environments: Beach, deeper sub-tropical sea, river delta
( I gave you guys a reroll because otherwise you would've backstepped in several things, and you would likely have gone extinct, or fully dominated.)
Author
Topic: Competition II - New Life (Read 24250 times)