Cleaner Ukneuk

Splitting from a more arboreal species of gliding neuks, the cleaner ukneuk gets its name from its habit of living on the bodies of saucebacks and cleaning them of bludblugs infestations. This example of symbiosis provides mutual benefits to both parties: the saucebacks are cleaned of a bothersome parasite, while the ukneuk gets access to a steady supply of food as well as protection and, eventually, transportation as well. Unlike the various species of neuks, the ukneuk has become ovoviviparous: while producing far fewer eggs than their kin, these eggs hatch inside their bodies, mature on a diet of unfertilized eggs, and are eventually "birthed" as miniature versions of the adults.

Life for the cleaner ukneuks typically consists of colonies that tend to inhabit large, highly visible structures such as melontrees and scrubland quhfts. They openly display their presence, making taping sounds with their beaks hitting solid surfaces and such, in order to draw in "customers" in need of a good cleaning. These populations have little fear of predators due to few creatures would dare attack them in the presence of so many saucebacks. Subadults seeking to create new colonies will typically hitch a ride on a sauceback, such as a hearthead and be carried around. When they detect a suitable new home, they will leave their host and begin to establish themselves. With time, a healthy new colony is likely to form, wherein it can be easily identified by the near-constant presence of various species of sauceback gathering around it.

Some cleaner ukneuks, however, never leave their hosts, instead forming lifelong bonds with as they live on their backs and keep them clean. Such a lifestyle does have its benefits for the chosen sauceback outside of regular cleaning services. Ukneuks, possessing eyes, are capable of keeping watch for further away threats that might be outside a sauceback's range of echolocation and thus be able to warn them of it. In return, the ukneuk is protected from predators and other various threats to their lives.

Cleaner ukneuks display a wide degree of color morphs depending on the environment they grow up in. This occurs due to the presence of specialized pigment cells, akin to chromatophores, that develop while they are still larval and then "settle" when they reach full maturity, ceasing to further function and retaining whatever coloration was best suited for the environment at the time. As such, those that dwell in regions that abound in melontrees, for example, will often display red skin patterns, while those that dwell on crystal flora or quhfts will display green and dark purple colorations respectively. The most common color morph, however, is a light purple in hue and tends to be abundant wherever purple flora flourish. This unique form of color polymorphism serves as a form of camouflage, allowing the cleaner ukneuks to hide from potential predators while establishing their colonies, and improves with each generation which follows and remains within them.