Brazen Spoisoreth

The Brazen Spoisoreth is a split from their ancestor who moved into warmer climates, while their ancestor remains in polar refugia. Being adapted to live in both temperate and tropical temperatures, the Brazen Spoisoreth is found in most of the coastal waters around Wallace, as well as the northern coastal areas of Lamarck. In many ways, this species is very similar to their ancestor in terms of anatomy and lifestyle. The shell of the Brazen Spoisoreth is still in the shape of a corkscrew, helping to anchor it in the sediment and thus making it harder for it to be dislodged by a predator or the elements. One change seen to the shell is it turning from dark green to yellow-brown, helping it provide some basic camouflage by having predators mistake the top part of the Brazen Spoisoreth for a rock or the sediment. The anterior tentacles of this species still help it with pushing aside sediment to create more room for it as the Brazen Spoisoreth grows.

The head of the Brazen Spoisoreth still possesses five heat sensors around the mouth, though they have also developed the ability to detect very basic contrasts of light and dark. These help the species detect both prey and potential predators, which then allow it to respond accordingly. If the approaching organism is too big to be considered prey, the Brazen Spoisoreth will retract its head and feeding tentacles and seal them behind five mobile plates like their ancestor, the plates being made of the same material as its shell. If the approaching organism is determined as prey, it will instead extend its tentacles towards the target, hopefully snatching it and piercing its hide with its retractable fangs. These fangs still deliver a potent toxin that quickly causes paralysis and a quick death, meaning the prey stops struggling quickly and makes feeding easier. The mouth of the Brazen Spoisoreth still has highly elastic skin, allowing it to swallow prey larger than one would usually expect. After consuming a relatively large organism, the Brazen Spoisoreth will close its “petals” and enter a state of torpor as it digests the meal. Any minerals extracted from the meal will be used to grow their shell and fangs while any remaining waste will be later expelled from the five canals on the head when the Brazen Spoisoreth stirs and opens itself up again.

The Brazen Spoisoreth has made a few important changes from its ancestor in terms of reproduction, as it now utilizes sexual reproduction. Populations that live in temperate waters will reproduce when the winter months end and temperatures increase, while those in tropical waters will reproduce year-round. The way the species reproduces is fairly similar to its ancestor at a casual glance, as they are broadcast spawners, expelling gametes into the water so they can be carried by the currents. If they are lucky, the gametes will meet up with those of other Brazen Spoisoreths and merge together. When the gametes get fertilized, they will change into young free-swimming larvae that will then seek out a place to settle down. Once they burrow into a spot, they will mature into a small version of their adult form and remain in that spot for their entire lives.