Buoyskin

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Buoyskin
(Fluitotunicus concalesbulla)
Main image of Buoyskin
Species is extant.
Information
CreatorJlind11 Other
Week/Generation24/150
HabitatKrakow Polar Beach, Wind Polar Beach, Colddigger Polar Beach, Wind Polar Coast, Colddigger Polar Coast
Size120 cm Long
Primary MobilityBiped, Erect Legs, Leg- and Tail-Powered Swimming
SupportEndoskeleton (Bone)
DietCarnivore, Hemophagus (Marine Woollycoat, Helmethead Uksip, Uksor, Scaled Diveskunik, Red Echofin, Elongated Gilltail, Frabuki, Common Oceanscooter, Symbiobuki, Bloister, Seascooter, Marine Bubblepede, Marine Gilltail, Marine Filtersquid, Marine Finworm, Greengill, Nectascooter, Ebony Pump Gilltail, Chunky Zoister, Speckled Spinderorm, Islandball Gillfin, Wolley) Scavenger
RespirationActive (Lungs)
ThermoregulationMesotherm (Bubble-Wrap Scales)
ReproductionSexual, Two Sexes, Live Birth
Taxonomy
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Superclass
Clade
Class
Subclass
Order
Superfamily
Family
Genus
Species
Eukaryota
Carpozoa
Spondylozoa
Anisoscelida
Pentapodes
Soricia (info)
Hemogorgonia
Bullapella
Pleustophonoidea
Pleustophonidae
Fluitotunicus
Fluitotunicus concalesbulla
Ancestor:Descendants:

The buoyskin split from its ancestor, following the marine woollycoat into the aquatic biomes surrounding Krakow; it supplements its diet with some of the larger aquatic species in the area as well. It has grown in size to assist in taking out its prey.

Due to the air-filled bubble-scales covering their bodies, aquatic life was a rather easy transfer for the bubbleskins, the air pockets providing both insulation and some level of buoyancy. Their bodies are more streamlined to help with swimming, which they accomplish by coordinating left-right kicks with their broad feet, using their tail as a rudder (which they sometimes shake in conjunction with their feet to get a slight boost). They now have splotches of brown, deep blue, and dark gold on their bodies for extra camouflage. They tend to use their color vision (front eyes) less often underwater, preferring infrared (top pair) or electrosensory (bottom pair).

Buoyskins hunt either alone or in groups of 2–4, communicating their attacks using high-frequency chirps underwater. To kill prey they either grab it with their mouth when its above or spear it with their arm-spikes when its underneath; their arm spikes have become slightly serrated to help in cutting up killed prey, though they tend to withhold this function while underwater as it risks the foe loosing blood (their preferred meal) into the water. Their ancestor's history of hunting plents a has translated in a hunting method of ambushing from behind and underneath the target, preferring to grab and drag under the waves than to cut or puncture. They carry prey to shore in their mouths to feed; their ancestors pouch became impractical for carrying young underwater, and instead is sometimes used to carry an extra kill (or multiple small kills).

Individuals live for 10 years. Their reproductive behavior has also changed. Males mature twice as fast as females and once fully grown, will go off and claim a stretch of beach (about 8 kilometers across) as its territory, usually in the vicinity of a woollycoat colony. He will then take a couple kills a month and leave them out on the beach for a female to find; the male needs to be careful to not leave the carcasses out too long or the stench might attract unwanted attention from other predators or its prey. Once a female is discovered he will do a short display of slashing his spikes and jumping. If the female stays they will mate and give birth to 2 chicks (usually a male and a female) every 2 years. The parents take turns looking after them, trading pouch duty every week, allowing their mate time to acquire enough fat from hunting to take over the next shift. The chicks are fed regurgitate blood until they've grown out their teeth, claws and raspy tongue (another 3 months for females, about 1.5 months for males). After which the free adult will teach the grown chicks how to hunt, first small prey and later fully grown woollycoats (about 3 weeks).