Nightstalker

Depicted here, a school of sea sweepers disperses as a Nightstalker targets any stragglers. (Creature designed by Kipzilla)

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Nightstalker is a long segmented creature, with large backfins on the last 5 segments and stronger larger fins near the front. It has a large pointy jaw, two large lateral eyes, one small medial eye, and a hook beneath the jaw made from shell.
The eyes are of a kind unique to probosignathids, the outer lens gathers high amounts of light, while three separate pupil like structures within maintain their own lenses, allowing each eye limited depth perception on its own. It flaps his backfins up and down for forward propulsion and keeps straight with its front fins. When it swims at full speed it would be one of the if not fastest swimmers around at a predicted 60kmh.
Its jaw is made in three sections with sharp hooks inside that function as teeth that dig into its prey and keep it from getting away.
Its hook on the bottom of the jaw is used when the Nightstalker is in its juvenile stage to hook onto large herbivores, clear them of parasites and protect them from predators.
The nightstalker breathes with its gill hairs that are found under the back of the segments.

Genetics and Reproduction

The nightstalker reproduces by releasing clouds of gametes into the oceans near its breeding grounds located in the Yama-Kub Shay Major Reef System. Here they will come once a year in large numbers to breed. The gametes will fuse and create small eggs which fall down to the ocean bottom where they develop and hatch.

Growth Rate & Stages

Once the eggs hatch a small nightstalker will emerge, and swim around looking for a large herbivore which they can clean from parasite and use as protection. In this time they will grow to their full adult size and start hunting larger and larger prey.

Ecology and Habitats

Nightsalkers are found throughtout the ancient oceans of Almaishah normally at depths between 140m and 200m. They do avoid the coldest polar regions.

Dietary Needs and Habits

The nightstalker is a large apex predator that actively chases its prey, it will start eating parasites as its young but slowly transition into the role of an active predator hunting down anything it can chase, catch and eat.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The nightstalker has three large eyes, one facing anteriodorsally and two facing anteriolaterally, they all have triple lights detectors and are light sensitive able to see in the twilight of the deep ocean.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Probosignathid

Scientific Name

Thanostadon venaturamala

Origin/Ancestry

Xenosegmenta

Lifespan

11 local years

Average Height

75cm

Average Length

300cm