Flashfin Gilltail

The flashfin gilltail split from its ancestor and now eats flashkelps and their descendant, the shelterkelp. Due to the flashkelps' ability to startle herbivores with their bioluminescence, the flashfin gilltail had to evolve a way around it. They have evolved eyelids to keep them from being startled by the flashing flashkelps. Older specimens don't even close their eyes, as they have gotten used to the flashkelp's defense. Since the shelterkelp is too big to be eaten by simply plucking it out of the ground and snapping it up, they will use their sharp beaks to bite pieces off of it. This also applies to larger flashkelp species. The luciferin found in flashkelp species is then transferred to the flashfin gilltail's fins. When threatened with being eaten, a fight-or-flight response will excite the luciferin, causing their fins to flash. This will startle predators and give them a chance to escape. These gilltails will lay their eggs under shelterkelps because they protect their eggs and provide a food source for their young. The fry will begin to nibble on the shelterkelp as soon as they hatch, building up their own supply of luciferin in the process. They are black with light green fins so they can camouflage with Maineiac Temperate River's black mud and the flashkelps they eat.