Fuzzbelly Seaswimmer

The fuzzbelly seaswimmer split from its ancestor, the rusty seaswimmer, and has since spread throughout the waters off of the island continent of Barlowe. Inhabiting the productive subtropical regions, they hunt a variety of prey native there, consisting essentially of anything that they can fit into their powerful jaws. The tropical waters around Barlowe are inhabited by these seaswimmers, though due to the less productive waters and thus less abundant food sources, only very young individuals avoiding competition with more capable adults, or older individuals that have been pushed out of their territories by younger rivals, tend to dwell in these regions. Visually, compared to their ancestors they have grown in both size and girth, though they have nonetheless evolved a significantly more streamlined body than what their lineage is typically known for. Also of note, the elongated tusk (a specialized fang) that has so distinguished seaswimmers and their close kin has significantly shrunk in this species. In contrast, its opposite paired fang, which is often undeveloped in comparison, has enlarged to the point of almost being equal in size. This dental arrangement has led to the species relying more on their bite force rather than skewering their prey, though the tusk is still utilized in bouts of combat between individuals over such things as territory or between males fighting over females.

The fuzzbelly seaswimmer gets its name from the hairs that sprout from its underside. While in its distant ancestors these hairs helped to aid them in gripping onto surfaces while climbing them, in this species they have grown and serve a new purpose. As there are no surfaces to grip onto for a free-swimming species, these hairs have become more specialized, and now function in detecting vibrations in the water column, allowing them to sense both prey and predators alike from greater distances than what their vision alone would allow them to. This is especially useful when they stalk the shallows around dusk and dawn, when lighting is poor and vision less reliable, as well as when hunting in murkier water, such as what might occur following a tropical storm passing through the region.

They possess a thick, protective layer of insulating fat that is rich in oils, not unlike that of leatherback sea turtles native to Earth. These oils help them to maintain buoyancy while swimming, as well as further aiding them by providing some small degree of insulation, though given the waters they inhabit, this function tends to be of less importance to them. Fuzzbelly seaswimmers power their way through water with the mighty sways of their paddle-like tails. Internally, the fins of these tails are supported by a series of cartilaginous rods. The cartilage offers them a degree of flexibility compared to the solid bone that makes up the rest of their skeletons, though this comes at the cost of an extended recuperation period should their fins ever be significantly damaged.

Mating occurs year-round, as the warm waters off of Barlowe mean that food is plentiful. The nasal crests of the males are slightly larger and more developed than those of the females and are a more vibrant shade of orange. Males with particularly large and vibrant ones are seen as especially attractive to females and will often attract the most mates, though males may occasionally joust with one another over territories, utilizing their tusks for this task. Following the act, males take no further role in parenthood. The females, meanwhile, undergo a gestation period that lasts for roughly half a year, after which they will approach the shallower mangal regions in order to give birth to four to six offspring live. Showing their foot-long pups no further parental care, they will return to deeper waters following this, allowing their young to hunt within the shallows, rapidly gaining weight and size as they feast on a variety of gilltail species and similar prey. Within two years, these offspring will have reached early adulthood, being nearly half a meter in length and ready to return to deeper waters themselves. If they should manage to avoid potential predators or succumbing to disease or injury, fuzzbelly seaswimmers can potentially live for up to thirty years.