Chubby Yung-Zao

Pachoulósichthys pachydontus is a Landmark species of Pseudocephalocaudatine Paragladioid amphibian from The Crater.
The species was first named by Paleontologist Sarah Ellis in 2415 from 700.000-year-old sediments of the northern Gleann Blathánna coasts, based on a few fossil teeth and a single partially complete skeleton.
The species lived in Kelp forests and other forested areas of the shallows, taking advantage of the fact that no major herbivorous animal was filling the niche in the area to make use of the plantlife, partially changing diet towards herbivory, adapting its teeth to grasp and cut vegetation and the Sphaera Lania to better grind the fibres.
The digestive system of the animal also partially adapted to digest plantlife, although its carnivorous ancestry made it less efficient than other animals, forcing it to feed on vegetation for most of the day to absorb enough nutrition as to sustain itself, not too dissimilar from Pre-Reshtu Earth's Giant Pandas (†Ailuropoda melanoleuca).
The species went extinct naturally when the temperatures gradually rose and its natural habitat disappeared.
The species was rediscovered in 2531, when the barrier around The Crater was first lowered.
Today the animal is found living at the base of the second segment of The Crater, The Chasm.
Its modern habitat is not too dissimilar from its past one, being thick kelp forests and seagrass prairies where it can forage for most of the day, either staying very close to the seafloor or at middle depth in the water column depending on the habitat in which it's found.
Much friendlier than its modern relatives, the animal often plays with divers, making it a favourite among tourists courageous enough as to venture into The Chasm.

Basic Information

Anatomy

• Head short and rounded with a pointy forehead.


• Eyes very large compared to the body.


• Few large teeth along thw mouth, incisors larger and plated in a beak-like structure, fused together at the bone level.


• Body short and high.


• Dorsal I fin leaf shaped and high, Dorsal II veiled and subtriangular.


• Pectoral fins moved ventrally, pointing downward.


• Anal fin very broad and high, leaf shaped.


• Gill Tail very short, ending in a very high Gill Fan.


• Gill fan short and high with pronounced ridges and a very steep caudal drop.

Genetics and Reproduction

Seasonally monogamous species.
P. pachydontus mates in the middle of autumn, when the kelp around the Chasm blooms in bioluminescent snow.
The Males will be the only one of the two genders to actively seek a mate, swimming in the fine Kelp snow where it's thickest to cover their body in the bioluminescent seeds.
The female will never leave her foraging grounds and is notoriously picky regarding her mates; a female will select a mate based on the brightness of the green pigmentation, the amount of snow it managed to cover himself in, the wideness of the anal fin and the clapping sound of the incisors.
When a female selects a mate, she'll start swimming in small circles close to the seafloor, clapping her incisor teeth rapidly to signal the male he can mate with her.
A female will incubate only a few eggs, between four to six, for approximately five to six weeks.
The eggs are laid on the seafloor or on a stalk of Kelp where the female will often come around to check; the eggs hatch one to two months later and the mother will nurse the young to adulthood.
The males of the Seagrass prairies won't have access to Kelp snow, the females adjusted accordingly in their selection process.

Growth Rate & Stages

Ontogenesis in the species not very marked, however the animals take a long time to reach sexual maturity.
Loss of natal aculeus two years after being born.

Ecology and Habitats

Epipelagic species found at depths between 15 to 70 m in The Chasm segment of The Crater.
They live in seagrass prairies and Kelp forests where the vegetation is thickest.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Herbivorous species taking advantage of the large amount of vegetation no other large animal in its habitat ate.
In The Crater it somehow survives even though larger competitors abound.

Biological Cycle

Periannial creature with few dips in activity year long.

Additional Information

Social Structure

The animal is not too social but won't usually chase away conspecifics, sometimes chatting among them if they run across one another.
Outside of these random encounters though, they'll try to keep their distance as to optimize food availability.
The animal will also chase away other medium to large sized herbivorous animals that may come to forage in their territory.

Domestication

While it's not possible to keep in captivity, the animal is quite renowned among divers for its friendly attitude, being very curious towards humans and coming to investigate and play with them.
People that ventured into The Chasm often report being pleasantly surprised by the species' attitude towards them.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Of no major use to Humanity outside of moderate interest for the daring tourists venturing in The Chasm.
Allegedly the animal's meat tasted good, however, consumption of the species is illegal today, seen how the species reproduces at a very slow rate and how long it takes for young specimens to mature.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Found in the second zone of The Crater, The Chasm, Hetherian Ocean.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Adeguate eyesight, good hearing and echolocatory abilities.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Afflicted by Intestinal Tube Worms and beak crushing diseases.
In a mutualistic relationship with the kelp of its native forests; it helps propagating the seeds in exchange for food.

Scientific Name

Eoichthyia; Tartarosomnia; Rotunducephalidae; Gladiopinneioidea; Paragladioidea; Caudocephalidae ; Pseudocephalocaudatinae; Pachoulósichthys; P. pachydontus

Lifespan

40 Years

Conservation Status

Allochronous: The animal is a Landmark species, it defies regular census techniques.
Population Trend: UNKNOWN

Average Weight

30-75 kg

Average Length

1.1 m (male) , 1.5 m (female)

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Green to lime body, back darker.
darker colour runs down the body to the medial line in seven, progressively shorter, bands.
Four dark grey to black dots on the frontal section of the body.
Dorsal fins darker towards the tip.
Pectoral and Anal fin tipped in azure.