Flumpus

Splitting from its ancestor, the mighty larlap, the flumpus has taken to the ocean as the once prominent lands of Fermi island have shrunken due to rising sea levels. It is there, in those very waters, where it can now support its great, blubbery girth even further, allowing them to grow even larger and more rotund. Such weight provides protection from both the elements and potential predators that would otherwise be more than willing to take a bite out of them. To support this growth, the flumpus gorge themselves upon the abundant aquatic black flora, as well as supplementing their primarily herbivorous diet with a bit of carnivore, which oftentimes involves some of the smaller shoaling species that inhabit their habitats.

The flumpus have evolved several adaptations for an aquatic lifestyle. The most obvious of these is the slight webbing present in-between their toes, which aids them in swimming. Their third pair of eyes is now situated on a small stalk, allowing the flumpus to view objects above the waterline, such as predatory species on the shore, while still remaining submerged and thus hidden. Finally, their nostrils have begun to move further up their skulls, and are no longer situated further down the snout as they they are in the majority of their close cousins.

Flumpus males are nearly twice as large as the females, and possess more brilliantly colored, prominent neck flaps compared to them, which they proudly display to one another as they rest upon their beachside colonies. Males will often be surrounded by a harem of seven or so females, as well as up to two dozen offspring of various ages. They will guard them with great ferocity, though will typically defend their harems by displaying their neck flaps and clacking their club-spikes together. Should this fail to deter a would-be challenger, the males will then repeatedly slam into each other until one either inevitably backs down or dies from internal injuries.

While their ancestors laid eggs that were nurtured within cryobowls, the flumpus now instead have evolved to allow their eggs to hatch while still within the wombs of their mothers. While far fewer eggs are produced, leading to approximately three to six young being born, they are both more developed and noticeably larger than the offspring of their closest relatives, and resemble miniature, paler versions of the adults by the time they take their first breath.

Since first taking to the water, the flumpus has extended its range to the Dixon-Darwin supercontinent. They have established several colonies along their long stretches of beaches, each containing populations of roughly several thousand individuals.