Post by allie on Jun 1, 2023 16:47:19 GMT
PUBLICAN (TELONARIA VULGARIS)
Appearance: Since Recontact, scientific literature has favored the newcomer name "publican" for one of Poseidon's more hated parasites. The deprecated native name is still reflected in related species, such as the Northwestern reeflock and Dolphin Sea lock.
By any name, publicans are Poseidon's best-known species of pharyngeal fish; over evolutionary history its jaws have developed so asymmetrically that its horizontal jaws are now entirely recessed inside the vertical ones, although they can be extended some distance from the publican's body. This has left publicans with a face superficially like that of a terrestrial fish, with prominent jowls of connective tissue extending from the cheeks.
Behavior: Publicans are crepuscular, active primarily at twilight in good weather while avoiding both total darkness and bright light. They are known to be active well beyond these times on overcast days or during light storms; reports of publican attacks on moonlit nights are widespread but poorly documented.
Despite their deprecated native name, publicans are not shy, and display considerable curiosity about objects in their environments. A publican attacks by opening its mouth shockingly wide, extending the pharyngeal jaws, and using them to bite before retracting them and slamming its mouth shut. The force of this distinctive two-stage bite is often enough to pulverize a fish or crush a hard spurt; on larger targets, publican bites have been known to remove up to half a kilogram of tissue and involve underlying musculature.
Faced with something inedible too large to swallow whole, such as humans, cetaceans, remotes, or inflatable hulls, a publican usually breaks off the attack after one bite. The scars left by a publican bite are distinctive, and often visible on every large marine animal and structure within several kilometers of its habitat.
Range: Zion Islands and Serendipity Atolls
Habitat: Warm coastal waters
Length: 40-75 centimeters
Weight: 2-3.5 kilograms
Frequency: Uncommon in good weather, common on overcast days
Resource Value: Low; publican livers are considered a delicacy in some regions
Threat Level: High; while rarely serious, publican attacks are constant and regular throughout their range
Physique: TBA
Coordination: TBA
Cognition: TBA
Psyche: TBA
Appearance: Since Recontact, scientific literature has favored the newcomer name "publican" for one of Poseidon's more hated parasites. The deprecated native name is still reflected in related species, such as the Northwestern reeflock and Dolphin Sea lock.
By any name, publicans are Poseidon's best-known species of pharyngeal fish; over evolutionary history its jaws have developed so asymmetrically that its horizontal jaws are now entirely recessed inside the vertical ones, although they can be extended some distance from the publican's body. This has left publicans with a face superficially like that of a terrestrial fish, with prominent jowls of connective tissue extending from the cheeks.
Behavior: Publicans are crepuscular, active primarily at twilight in good weather while avoiding both total darkness and bright light. They are known to be active well beyond these times on overcast days or during light storms; reports of publican attacks on moonlit nights are widespread but poorly documented.
Despite their deprecated native name, publicans are not shy, and display considerable curiosity about objects in their environments. A publican attacks by opening its mouth shockingly wide, extending the pharyngeal jaws, and using them to bite before retracting them and slamming its mouth shut. The force of this distinctive two-stage bite is often enough to pulverize a fish or crush a hard spurt; on larger targets, publican bites have been known to remove up to half a kilogram of tissue and involve underlying musculature.
Faced with something inedible too large to swallow whole, such as humans, cetaceans, remotes, or inflatable hulls, a publican usually breaks off the attack after one bite. The scars left by a publican bite are distinctive, and often visible on every large marine animal and structure within several kilometers of its habitat.
Range: Zion Islands and Serendipity Atolls
Habitat: Warm coastal waters
Length: 40-75 centimeters
Weight: 2-3.5 kilograms
Frequency: Uncommon in good weather, common on overcast days
Resource Value: Low; publican livers are considered a delicacy in some regions
Threat Level: High; while rarely serious, publican attacks are constant and regular throughout their range
Physique: TBA
Coordination: TBA
Cognition: TBA
Psyche: TBA