Bubble-Throated Anklebiter

The bubble-throated anklebiter is a short-lived species of thornback, as it lives for less than a year. Most of its lifespan is spent in its lungfish-like larval stage. There are two generations a year: the spring-laid generation and the autumn-laid generation. Those whose eggs were laid in autumn reproduce in spring, and those whose eggs were laid in spring reproduce in autumn. The spring-laid generation has the whole summer to mature, so its members are larger and more fecund than the autumn-laid generation.

Spring generation adults tend to die in the pools they reproduced in. As they rot, they produce heat, much like a compost heap. This produces enough heat to melt the surrounding permafrost, producing a very small pool no more than five cm deep. These pools are covered in a layer of ice during the winter. The subterranean pools are indistinguishable from the surrounding ice. In slightly warmer days, when the ice layer is weaker, heavy fauna may accidentally break through the ice layer. Occasionally, tripping in a hidden bubble-throated anklebiter pool causes them to sprain or break their feet.

Adult bubble-throated anklebiters have small, functional digestive systems, but do not eat. They spend all their time and energy reproducing. Consequently, the adult bubble-throated anklebiters have tiny, useless snouts.

The adults never go far from a temporary pool, as they require the pools to reproduce. The adult males have a large, bubble-like blue throat sac, hence the name "bubble-throated". While the sacs are froglike, they do not advertise themselves by calling out. Rather, the bright color and swollen shape acts as a visual signal. (Like most saganisuchans, bubble-throated anklebiters are deaf.) If a female likes what she sees, she immediately waddles over and spews a copious amount of eggs in a nearby pool, upon which the male fertilizes them. Bubble-throated anklebiters don't hold territories, so multiple bubble-throated anklebiters may mate in the same pool. This is no problem for them, as the larvae are cannibalistic and readily eat competitors. The parents die soon after mating. The spring-laid generation, not needing the heat of decaying bodies, cannibalize their parents.

The larvae eat poisonous kinds of snotflora and marbleflora and accumulate the poisons in their bodies. If threatened, they flip over like a dead fish and show the threat their bright yellow bellies. The adults, with a whole larvae-hood of accumulating poisons, are even more poisonous. The bright yellow spots on a black background advertise their poisonous nature to predators. Incidentally, bubble-throated anklebiters' visual systems are especially responsive to spots, as most of the poisonous snotflora and marbleflora species they eat have spots. Thus, the spotted skins of adult bubble-throated anklebiters draw the attention of other adult individuals and induce an approach response.

Bubble-throated anklebiters lack gills. Instead, they gulp water into their vascularized throat sacs, which operate similarly to the labyrinth organs of some air-breathing fish. Though the adults still have throat sacs, they breathe through lungs.

While ectotherms, they warm up quickly due to their dark bodies and are well-insulated by a layer of fat. This allows them to live in the tundra, though they are unable to survive winter temperatures without the heat of a rotting body.

Note: Picture by Coolsteph