Rock Shrimp

Rock Shrimp, named due to their strange habitats, have a semi-parasitic relationship with the crystalline structures they call home. Measuring at lengths up to a quarter inch, these small crustaceans often hide in the rocky outcroppings at the base of their crystals, and live in schools of between twenty and two-hundred (dependent on the size of their habitat).

Basic Information

Anatomy

Rock Shrimp bodies are subcylindrical, and around 1/4" long at their eldest point. Largely translucent, these Shrimp have milk-white eyes and blue tips to their appendages and abdomen.
The body becomes wider toward the head, which bears a pair of stalked eyes as well as a set of four upward-facing eyes. The creature's mouthparts are similar in nature to a lobster, with tendrils and a small set of mandibles.
The animal appears to have eight body segments in it's thorax, the first of which connecting the thorax to the creature's head. Each segment is host to a series of miniscule bristles.
Males and females can be recognized by the lengthened mandibles on the males, used to clasp the female during mating.

Genetics and Reproduction

Internal fertilization of the female's eggs is what sets this particular species of shrimp apart from the rest. As the female reaches maturity, a specialized segment of her thorax becomes present. This segment begins producing eggs, and will continue to do so for an undetermined amount of time. During which time, at any point a partner may be selected from amongst the males to fertilize the eggs prior to their expulsion from the female's specialized thorax segment.
Once fertilized, the eggs will stay within the female for a number of hours before being expelled onto the female's body, connected to her through her thorax' many bristles.

Growth Rate & Stages

Rock Shrimp take six days to two weeks to reach full size, and live for a number of months within their crystalline shell. The "larval" stage of this creature sees a miniaturized version of it's full-form, missing some five thorax segments, and then grows rapidly over the following days.
The final stage of life is reached at around three to four months, with the Shrimp eventually passing of "old age", at which point the crystal's parasitic relationship begins.

Ecology and Habitats

The Shrimp are born of brine drips in underground caverns. As the brine solidifies as a sort of "quasi-quartz", the overly salinized brine at it's core cannot solidify to follow. The Rock Shrimp, once evolved, begin feeding on the chemical soup within the crystal. As the Shrimp die out, their bodies float harmlessly to the base of the crystal, providing the carbon necessary to begin solidifying the structure.
What's more, the digestive systems of the Rock Shrimp cause the chemicals they ingest to have a severe reaction, causing their fecal matter to emit light.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Rock Shrimp appear to have a form of sight, enhanced by the crystal's lensing. From the interior of the structure, the creature's sight appears greater than even that of a human, and serves as a defensive mechanism by alerting the creature to potential threats and granting it time to hide.

Geographic Distribution

• Orivos