Fanhand Scuttler

Splitting from its ancestor, the fanhand scuttler has evolved alongside its close cousins the orange-spot and lockjaw scuttlers. Feeding upon the abundant species of twinkiiros that dot the ocean floor, fanhands earn their name from the pair of back limbs which have been adapted for defensive purposes, being waved back and forth at predators that should come upon them. Another evolutionary adaption is the retention of a small portion of photosynthetic flesh that has evolved into a bulb-like growth on its 'face'. It also serves a secondary purpose. When the young are spawned, they aggregate around this 'orb' and attach to it, parasitizing the adult of its excess sugars produced via photosynthesis, during the first week of their lives. After this they will have developed an advantage in terms of size and development over their competitors, allowing them to thrive in the plankton before eventually descending to the sea floor and beginning their benthic lifestyles.