Leatherback Scuttlecrab
| Leatherback Scuttlecrab | ||
|---|---|---|
| (Triucanceri exoderma) | ||
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| 15/101, gamma-ray burst | ||
| Information | ||
| Creator | Irinya Other | |
| Week/Generation | 5/33 | |
| Habitat | Southwest Beach, Southeast Beach | |
| Size | 30 cm Long | |
| Primary Mobility | Unknown | |
| Support | Unknown | |
| Diet | Omnivore (Beach Puffs, Small Plents, Stumpworms and other Scuttlecrabs) | |
| Respiration | Active (Microlungs) | |
| Thermoregulation | Ectotherm | |
| Reproduction | Sexual (Lays a brood of small, soft, snail-like eggs in a hole in the moist sand on the beaches) | |
| Taxonomy | ||
| Domain Kingdom Subkingdom Phylum Clade Superclass Class Order Family Genus Species | Eukaryota Binucleozoa Symbiovermes (info) Thoracocephalia Coluripoda Ossicancer Entomocarcinia (info) Chelaticimecia Triucanceriidae Triucanceri Triucanceri exoderma | |
| Ancestor: | Descendants: |
|---|---|
The leatherback scuttlecrab evolved from a line of the crawling stumpworm that had formed a symbiotic relationship with Testudohexapodia spherus. T. spherus benefits from this relationship as it can distribute its spores over a much larger area, and it can also bloom constantly due to the supply of nutrients it gains from its host. The scuttlecrab also benefits, as it gains a small amount of energy through photosynthesis, and the T. spherus cells also secrete a substance which both neutralizes the acid of the stumpworm sucker and prevents the stickyballs from attaching themselves.
The front legs on each side have fused into a pair of pincers, while the four rear legs have become strong enough to lift the scuttlecrab's weight. As a result, the leatherback scuttlecrab is a fast and efficient small predator. It can hunt small plents, such as young nobomaton, and even kills stumpworms and other scuttlecrabs. Another development of the leatherback scuttlecrab is a thick leather-like skin, which has grown over its exoskeleton. This hide is made from a combination of modified internal flesh cells and also those of t. spherus. The scuttlecrab lives predominantly on the beaches, although its range extends a short way into the flatlands.
Gallery
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Artwork by OviraptorFan
Living Relatives (click to show/hide)
