Pluuniima

Skyfins

Pluuniima (pʟɯ-ɳi-ɱa), often called taniwha, are a hexapodal, winged, vaguely missile-shaped species of volant sophonts from the planet Papatuanuku in the Tamanuitera (Beta Canum Venaticorum) system. These sophonts are highly unique in many respects, hailing from an oceanic world with a super-dense atmosphere and rather low gravity. They are uncannily agile, highly intelligent, and remarkably durable, but due to their high metabolic demands they are more prone to hypoxia than most other known sophont species (barring shyxaure).

Biology

Anatomy & Morphology

Pluuniima are horizontal hexapterid hexapods with almost perfect quadrilateral symmetry, with two pairs of flipper-like wings used for aerial locomotion (arranged perpendicular to each other just behind the neck) and one smaller pair oriented vertically towards the end of the main torso. The aft torso transitions into a medium-length tail with a small, four-pronged cartilaginous fluke, used as a rudder while in swimming flight.
Taniwha skeletons are cartilaginous, though their bones have an internal lattice structure that is reinforced with carbon fibre like those of shyxaure. Their vascular oxygen carrier is cyanoglobin, a copper-based protein that turns bright turquoise when oxidized. Though less efficient than hemoglobin or coboglobin, their highly oxygenated environment balances out this drawback.

Perception & Sensory Capabilities

Visual

The visual sense is absolutely critical to pluuniima. They are incredibly visual beings, having to navigate an environment with functionally endless three dimensions. Taniwha vision is facilitated by four focal eyes, set in equidistant circumference around the skull, which are able to detect motion, definite shape, spatial orientation, and a wide spectrum of color ranging from orange-yellow well into the ultraviolet. They also have photosensitive pits running down their bodies in four lines, able to detect shadow and, by extension, movement.

Auditory

Taniwha, like humans and shyxaure, are also very reliant on their auditory sense, facilitated by four sonar organs set just behind each eye as well as a pair of statocysts within the skull.

Olfactory

Taniwha olfactory sense is considerably more sensitive than that of humans, with a thin band of sensory hairs just behind the mouth.

Ecology

Geographic Origin & Distribution

Pluuniima are almost exclusively found on their homeworld Papatūānuku, having no technological capacity of their own to achieve spaceflight and preferring to avoid contact with their spacefaring counterparts.

Habitat & Survival Factors

The optimal survival range in a variety of factors for an unequipped taniwha is actually rather narrow given their hyperactive oxygen metabolism and internal pressure, and while specialized habitats and equipment can allow them to interact with spacefaring species, they greatly prefer not to.

Sociology

Pluuniima are largely solitary beings, with a family unit no larger than four occupying a vast hunting territory of up to a hundred cubic kilometres. For this reason, Papatūānuku has nothing resembling organized civilization, but it and its inhabitants are still respected as sovereign by the Coalition.

Archive Data

ORIGINS

Homeworld

Papatuanuku

Home system

Tamanuitera

Genesis group

Papagenia

BIOCHEMISTRY

Biochemical base

carbon

Genetics

CeNA

Solvent

H₂O

Respiration compounds

O₂

MORPHOLOGY

Biotype

biochemical multicellular

Symmetry

quadrilateral

Gravity-relative orientation

horizontal

Structure

endoskeletal

Limb configuration

octopinnal octapod

Average length

9 m

Average wingspan

8 m

Average mass

180 kg

NEUROLOGY

Focal type

multifocal

Sensory modes

• visual (250 - 550 nm)
• auditory (40 Hz - 80 kHz)
• tactile (10 μm limit)
• olfactory

Social type

singular

TOLERANCES

The values presented here describe the conditional limits of sustained indefinite survival. The species can survive more extreme conditions for shorter amounts of exposure.

Gravity limit

2.8 G

Pressure range

2.5 to 6.5 atm

Air mix

15% to 60% O2

Temperature range

15 to 40 °C

Radiation limit

• Gamma: 0.25 Gy
• Beta: 0.05 Gy
• Alpha: 0.0125 Gy

Scientific Name

Aerodelphis sapiens

Interspecies Relations

The pluuniima have no civilization whatsoever, let alone a unified civilization; they are bound to their home planet by choice and the few individuals who have interacted with members of the Coalition have expressed strong desires to be left alone. The Ecological Research and Preservation Agency maintains a facility on the moon of Niima to uphold and enforce these wishes.