Mud-Swirl

The mud-swirl is so named because it is hardly ever seen, due to the fact that its river home is so murky, the visibility is very poor. The mud-swirl has evolved a less colorful appearance so that it is camouflaged to hide from any predators on the banks. They have also shrunk to 70 cm to maneuver around the rivers more efficiently. With no big predators in the river itself, the mud-swirl has evolved a retractable sail on its back. The bright color makes the sail easier to see underwater and is used to communicate with other mud-swirls and is also used in mating – the brightest fin wins. Different sequences of red flashes mean different things like danger or food and so on, similar to Morse Code. For food, the mud-swirl eats raftballs growing in the river.