Bejeweled Emperor Scylarian

One of the larger splits off the rosy scylarian, the bejeweled emperor scylarian has evolved a more robust, powerful form, as well as a prominent tailfin and larger flippers. A much more capable swimmer than any scylarian that has come before it, they effortlessly cruse through the water column, only occasionally slowing down in order to bask near the surface. While one might view this as them being slow swimmers, the truth is in fact the opposite, as they can produce enough power and speed through movement of their tailfins in order to breach the water's surface and rise several feet into the air. The truth behind their periods of near-stillness is that it attracts various smaller sea life to them that will gladly clean their bodies of external parasites.

These scylarian mate for life, forming pairs that will stick together for their entire lives, which can be as long as twenty years. Working together, they cooperate to hunt down various smaller prey species, often forcing them into bait balls before slamming into them with mouths agape in order to devour as many as they can, as well as potentially stun others for later consumption once the prey inevitably disperse. Young - often born in groups of seven or eight - are showed no parental care, and will often shelter themselves beneath the tangled roots of islandballs similar floating structures out in the ocean. Should they survive their youths, they will reach their full size with three years and attain sexual maturity within another. Once they do so, they will often seek out a mate with which to spend the rest of their lives with. Should either mate die off, though, such as to predation, they will not seek out another.

Their name arises from their bones, which, upon the removal of the surrounding flesh, appear to be nearly an iridescent shade of green in color. At a glance, one would not be faulted for thinking that it was the bones themselves that have taken up this near-luminescent, vibrant coloration, but this is not what is going on here. In actuality, this emerald-like hue is due to the presence of a pigment known as biliverdin that, like in the gar and such of Earth, saturates the structural protein known as collagen that encompasses the bones, particularly in the regions of the spin. This overly pigment-rich protein is the true source of the coloration, for without it, the bones of the bejeweled emperor scylarian would be no different from those of any of its kin.