Scaled Srugeing

The scaled srugeing split from its ancestor, the srugeing. To deal with environmental pressures of retaining water and being preyed upon, the scaled srugeing had to evolve a feature never before seen in other beakworms; it evolved chitin scales all over its body, which give it its name. The larva are covered in a thick layer of hard scales that can shed off when being attacked by predators; while the adult retains a light layer of scales that not only help them retain more water, but also give them some protection against one another. These scales take on a near-black hue to help blend in with the black volcanic sand and mud of Maineiac. To further help with it being able to hide from predators, its gills have developed muscles that help move water through its body without requiring it to constantly swim around in order to breathe. Such an adaptation has also come in handy for the adult's breathing methods, giving it an advantage over its ancestor and its relatives. However, the adult scaled srugeing still requires humidity in the air in order to properly breathe. The adult scaled srugeing also has its ancestor's purple stripes expanded to surround its compound eyes, not only to attract mates, but also prevent glare from the sun; the scales surrounding the lung-like structure is a bright shade of purple to further attract mates by swelling up said structure to catch their attention. For the scaled srugeing's life cycle, the larvae live in the Maineiac Salt Marsh and the Maineiac Temperate River during the fall, where they feed on various smaller organisms including miniswarmers, chitjorns, and frabukis. As they get larger, they begin leaping out of the water and move out into the Maineiac Temperate Coast for more space, more food to consume, and to escape from getting too cold during the winter. After a little over one year has passed and spring begins, the scaled srugeings are fully grown leave the water and fly towards the Maineiac Temperate Beach and Maineiac Temperate Woodland to feed on decaying flesh and flora, especially rotten fruit. This ends up helping keep the environment cleaner than without them. While they live in the woodlands and beach, they are vulnerable to predation, but they manage to get around this with their more aerodynamic wings that allow them to fly rapidly in various directions. Unlike its ancestor's short lifespan, the adult scaled srugeing lives for 5 months, which comes in handy for when it needs to migrate. After spending a few months inland, the adults all fly back to the Maineiac Salt Marsh to begin their mating rituals of showing off their brightly colored gill-lung scales, charging into and pecking one another for the opportunity to mate. Once the winners are together, they fly down to lay their eggs and die, starting the life cycle all over again.