Bubbleweed Muckraker

Splitting from its ancestor, the bubbleweed muckraker has evolved to mimic the marine bubbleweed it hides amongst. Besides developing a purple coloration, it has also evolved its tail into a solid bubbleweed "bubble" which it uses like a club. Should a predator attempt to latch onto its back, it will quickly receive a powerful whack of the tail that, if successful, will damage the predator, forcing it to release it. Typically, all bubbleweed muckrakers are "females" almost all year round, greatly resembling their ancestor in form save for the tail and coloration. During the mating season, fully mature ones will begin to produce hormones that transform them into "males" which have larger tusks and horns adorning their bodies. They in turn produce hormones that prevent others from developing as well. At this time these "males" will battle one another for dominance, attempting to flip one another over with their tusks. Should a male loose, it reverts back to a "female" soon after, eventually leaving only a few dominant "males" in a given area. These "males" will eventually reproduce with all the females, passing on their genetic legacy. An interesting occurrence is that the "males" themselves will not become pregnant from this due to the large amounts of hormones running through their bodies. By the end of the mating season, all "males" will lose their horns and revert back into "females".