Globe Gilltail

The globe gilltail split from its ancestors and moved into colder waters. It is much larger and slower to cope with the cold. They have specialized to eating purely flora, specifically those globular in shape. Their beaks are stubbier and thus more dexterous. Their mouths now also have two fleshy pores in the bottom jaw that lead to the lid part of the beak. This means that even when the lid is covering the gill opening, the gilltail can still get a good water supply. These pores can open and close to pump air through the gills. If the gilltail is threatened by a belumbia it will try to bite it. The beta-chitin skeleton of the gilltail is quite rigid and bulky to protect it from larger predators. The foremost ribs are closely packed to increase this effect, however towards the posterior the ribs are spaced further apart to create space for the gill slits. To make the bones stronger, the chitin is enhanced by calcium carbonate crystals, specifically calcite. The lower jaw now has a large fenestra to remove some of the weight.