Strainerbeak

Splitting from its ancestor, the strainerbeak has evolved a uniquely designed beak that has greatly to its success. Striated along the sides and filled with miniature hair-like fibers, this design allows them to filter the water of food such as the miniswarmers alongside the larvae of various other gilltails and other species which produce planktonic young. Such a niche has not been taken up by gilltails before, so the strainerbeak has been able to dominate it unopposed. Because the of the plentifulness of its food source, they have been able to spread throughout Sagan IV's oceans. Starting life within the plankton themselves, it takes several weeks before the strainerbeak to reach a half a cm long. During this time they graze on the young of other species as well as the spores of the marine crystal which are dispersed on global currents. Once they grow large enough, which typically takes a few months, they begin to feed on the various miniswarmers. This will be the mainstay of their diet for the rest of their five year lives. They soon begin to form massive shoals containing thousands upon thousands of individuals, and which can be both mile wide and long with no space. Such a tantalizing food source has caught the attention of various predators, and since then their yearly global migrations are greatly anticipated by those that which to exploit them.