Fan Bloister

The fan bloister uses the massively enlarged bristled filters on its forelegs to collect food. Detritus collects on the fine bristles of the fan-like appendage. To feed, the fan bloister periodically brings one of its "fans" to its mouth. When it does so, it gives the impression of a coy geisha hiding behind her fan. Fan bloisters can swim, but only poorly. For the most part, they let the current take them. Though their "fans" are fairly paddle-shaped, they do not use them to swim, instead using the oar-like middle legs. The third pair of legs is less developed, and has only a minor role in locomotion, if any. The fourth pair of legs, the sitting legs of its ancestor, are outright vestigial, for the fan bloister no longer sits in one spot. The delicate fan appendages on the forelegs make use of the stabbing scoop difficult. Consequently, the fan bloister is defenseless, and survives only by living in sparsely populated deep-sea environments and its prodigious reproduction. The results of tests suggest that the fan bloister is a fairly palatable organism. Its weak shell is considered advantageous in its ease of consumption.