Nonessie

As the old hunting grounds of the cervicilarians began to dwindle and predation from their kin the cornularians continued to increase, extinction loomed over the ancestors of this species till evolution - and multiple generations - saw fit to select those few that were larger, more robust, and all around better adapted to survive in the seas of Sagan IV. It was these individuals who would reproduce and continue on the genetic legacy of their kind. In time, they came to Replace their ancestor wherever the two's ranges should coincide, and have now become even more akin in appearance to a lineage distantly related to that of scylarians, that of the plesiosnatch and its descendants. The nonessie has evolved a sturdier, longer neck in order to hunt small sea-dwelling organisms. Many of said organisms have fairly poor vision in the murky waters, and thus will often not recognize just how large a nonessie is as it approaches them from out of the gloom until it is far too late. This hunting tactic is aided by this species tending to hunt at low light levels, such as at dawn or dusk, which helps to only further obscure its body. Another adaptation is the evolution of bioluminescent patches on the tips of fleshy projections running along the lengths of their backs. These allow pods of nonessies to stay in relative formation with one another, as well as potentially lure in small, light-seeking prey. While typically keeping to open waters, they will venture into the shallows once every four to five years in order mate and breed. Females will then remain here, and the resulting young are born after a year long gestation period. Upon birth, they receive no further parental guidance, and must fend for themselves if they are to survive. They will mature here over the course of several years before they are finally large enough to leave for the ocean, and after a further eight years, begin to breed themselves.