Shield Foi

The shield foi replaced it's ancestor. The prominent body shape of the sucking fois led to them often being eaten by creatures that occasionally fed on the dark giant shovelhead's parasites or simply scraped off by their host when it brushed against something. The shield foi changed its shape to protect against this. They became flat and developed a calcite shell on their backs, protecting them from damage. Their eyes atrophied completely under the shell, the foi orientates itself with its sense of smell and taste. Besides this, they are very similar to their ancestors, feeding on the dark giant shovelhead's skin and laying spores into the wounds. Occasionally, they release the spores into the open water to find another host; sometimes the spores accidentally hatch on dark swarmers, which is fatal to both the host and parasite, since dark swarmers are too small to support them.