Sruglettes

Descending from the cryobowler srugeing, these gilltails are surprisingly generalistic considering their ancestor, but there’s good reason for this. The cryobowler srugeing’s adaptations to surviving in cryobowls for its larval stage precluded the ability for this genus to take advantage of nearly any body of water it could find.

Sruglettes are a global genus, this is facilitated not only by their generalist habits, but also the rapid adaptation of coastal species to brackish and then full-strength saltwater, this is a partially atavistic trait reactivated from their somewhat distant marine ancestor the surge gilltail, and means they may breed even in the open ocean to spread from continent to continent. The adults are also behaviorally neotenous, being more equivalent to adolescent cryobowler srugeings than to the actual adults as they consume prey, they are highly indiscriminate and will consume whatever looks suitable for consumption, they prefer flying prey though will catch prey that’s perching on the ends of flora, this does result in the accidental consumption of flora that naturally attaches to the tips of other flora such as Parasitic Floats and non-atmospheric Hair Nimbuses. These accidental consumptions are usually not harmful however and in some species these flora are sought out to obtain nutrients or pigments not available in an exclusively carnivorous diet as adults.

Sruglettes are unable to hover and cannot move on the ground, and though some can perch upon it or may lay on it, a large majority of the species cannot land on the ground whatsoever and spend their lives constantly in flight. Most species are fairly short-lived and only last a few months at most as adults due to this constant burning of energy to remain in flight. None of these such species sleep and instead flutter in a straight line repeatedly or in tight circles, as if they fall to the ground they will be unable to take off again easily and may fall easy prey to various predators. Species that are able to land however will sit on the ground or sufficiently large objects at night and often live for at least a few years as they are able to rest for prolonged periods without becoming highly vulnerable when exhausted. Sruglings spawn in the water and can take advantage of a variety of such sources, like vernal pools, lakes, rivers, tidepools, the ocean, stagnant puddles, water collected within foliage, and swamps. The biggest example of this generalist spawning selection is the subgenus Protopulmonis (Early lung) (this is also the subgenus the larva shown in the image is from). Marked by the larvae developing their lung before they even hatch, though this means it is necessary for them to breathe air and renders them unable to stay underwater for long periods of time, it allows them to spawn in deoxygenated water. A valuable trait for survival in harsh environments where sufficiently oxygenated water may be rare or absent.

Spawning in landing-incompetent species is usually done from the air by flinging eggs and sperm into the water, at the surface of the water where both partners will skim beside eachother and release their gametes, or underwater, where the sruglings can swim (albeit badly) around to find suitable positions (they are limited to shallow waters however as they are holding their breath the entire time). Species that can perch on surfaces tend to sit next to eachother on the edge of a body of water and release their gametes from there. Almost all of these are very vulnerable positions for the sruglings and thus mate choice is intensive, depending heavily on coloration, fitness, and size, both mates judge eachother based on their potential partner’s health and their own health, unhealthy specimens will be less picky knowing their chances are low much like how Terran stickleback mate selection operates.

All sruglette species have developed mucus glands in their lungs, which removes the need to moisturize the lung by skimming the surface of the water. In turn the need to place themselves at risk to underwater predators and allowing them to live in places without large stretches of water long-term such as forests and even deserts (desert species, and indeed species in arid places in general are few and far between and always have convoluted ways to find water to spawn in). The larvae resemble the adults with highly underdeveloped pectorals and with most other fins well-developed. Their bristled beak is perfect for filtering through the water or mud for food particles but also allows them to hunt down live prey and tear apart soft foliage. Some species are able to incorporate toxins from their larval diet into the adult form for protection against predators. In summary, sruglettes are the extremely generalist descendants of the cryobowler srugeing that have spread across the globe due to their ability to spawn just about anywhere, including the ocean, and the removal of the need to moisturize their lungs with water. They coexist with their ancestor due to the fact that they have lost the proteins to disable carnivorous cryobowl enzymes and the annuality of the cryobowler’s adult life.