Hexskimmer

The hexskimmer split from its ancestor, the mason hexspourous, though replacing it in all marine biomes. The continuation of the Oathinian Explosion, along with two and a half million years of evolution has largely changed the anatomy of the skimmer. Evolving from a group of mason hexspourouses that followed the gildbowl out to sea as it evolved into the maer, it has become fully aquatic. It swims upside down near the surface, half out of the water, feeding on the abundant maer that grow there.

It swims by moving its muscular tail up and down, steering with its fins which also give its tail a greater surface area. It has adapted to give its air-tubes another purpose, as well. Small chambers at the base of the tube, coated with sensory hairs and half-filled with fluid, tell the skimmer its orientation, so it always can tell down from up. Its sensory hairs along its belly have become more sensitive, which can help it detect if a darter is approaching. To reproduce, it will reduce a thick gell within a fetus at the center. The gel will absorb any organic matter or microbes that come in contact with it, storing the nutrients as more gel, and feeds itself to the growing skimmer. Once the gel is used up, the skimmer is old enough function on its own. Its diet of maer gives the skimmer a pale yellow-brown coloration.