The iron hive has used the poor adaptation of a weak shell to its advantage. Its young, unlike those of its ancestor, can break through the back of the shell. When the lumbering 'mother' nears a meal - within half a mile that is - the young will swarm out in droves. These numbers can be as great as a few thousand, with additional from older 'daughters' who have grown large enough to begin reproducing on their own. When the young arrive they completely overwhelm a shellwalker and its stalwart defender, the cleaner sauceback. Once they have killed the duo they begin dicing up the meat and carrying it back to the hives where they will bring it into their hole in the hive where they and the hive will begin to digest it.
Living Relatives (click to show/hide)
These are randomly selected, and organized from lowest to highest shared taxon. (This may correspond to similarity more than actual relation)
