Beakworm

Beakworms are fish-like worms that are obviously known to have beaks. They play the role of fishes on Sagan IV. This group includes all descendants of the multicolor beakworm except the gilltail line.

Breathing & Blood
Most beakworms breathe through the pores in their skin. Beakworms have an iron based blood which makes it red.

Diet & Energy
Beakworms are mostly carnivorous. There are a few herbivorous beakworms that feed on the photosynthetic cuticles of crystal flora, and river-dwelling ones that feed on raftballs. There are even a few omnivorous beakworms, such as the silverling.

Reproduction
Many beakworms are hermaphroditic, meaning that they have both male and female sexual organs. The ancestors of the beakworms just simply shed reproductive material in the water near each other in order produce offspring.

Senses
Beakworms primary sense is sight. The eyes of many beakworms consist of one eye and two pupils. The retinas move, and not the eye. In parrot worms, the eyes split into two functional eyes.

Gradual Demise
The beakworms were a successful lineage for quite a while but like so many others, the gamma ray burst crippled their kind greatly. But the real cause for their demise was there gradual replacement by their better adapted descendants the gilltails, and to some extent, the waterworms. Now except for the occasional relict species the oceans have been left to their descendants.