False-Spinemander Fraboo

The False-Spinemander Fraboo replaced its ancestor the Naked Fraboo in the BioCat Tropical River and Riparian. The Naked Fraboo lost its shell, internalizing it. While this proved no disadvantage while it had no predators, the appearance of Wadesnappers and juvenile Goliath Flunejaws put pressure on the Naked Fraboo. Three developments have made the False-Spinemander Fraboo better able to survive predation that its ancestor. First is the patterns which cover its back, giving it the appearance of a Spinemander. Spinemanders hunt along the floor of the BioCat Tropical River and their backs are covered in sharp spines. Wadesnappers and Goliath Flunejaws are reluctant to grab what looks like a Spinemander, preferring easier prey. Furthering helping the illusion, the False-Spinemander Fraboo’s legs are shorter and stockier, bringing it closer to the river bottom. Finally, the False-Spinemander Fraboo has re-evolved the retractable neck and head wrap which its ancestor lost. Rather than using it as a shell the False-Spinemander Fraboo will extend and retract the resistant wrap repeatedly when threatened. This movement is used to scoop mud and dig a hole for the organism to hide in.

Like the Naked Fraboo it has a complex life cycle, growing from eggs to larva to pupa to adult. Adults will lay large numbers of eggs in nutritive sacks in the Biocat Tropical River which will hatch into small filter-feeding larva. After eating enough these larva will turn into pupae and change into an adult False-Spinemander Fraboo. While most of its slimy chrysalis will be discarded, a portion of it will harden into the scooping neck wrap of the adult.

The False-Spinemander Fraboo breathes through several pores located along its body. When submerged in the water they extract air from water using intestine-like lungs. They have a fine blood based on iron, giving it a reddish coloration.