Sand-striped Twinfish

Diplolingua (Maculopinnis) harenostriatus is a species of Geminipiscine Sogerid amphibian from the Lesser Interior of the Phantom Sea.
Covering a similar niche as flatfish on Earth († Pleuronectes platessa), the animal lives a demersal lifestyle close to the seafloor in open spaces among the reefs.
D. harenostriatus lives in small groups composed by upwards of five specimens, usually one being the mother and the others the parthenogenetic offspring, which will stack onto the mother's back in a small pile, swimming in a column-like co-ordinated fashion, seeming a larger animal than what they truly are, separating themselves only to find food or shelter.
The animal lives most of its life swimming slowly close to the seafloor in search of food like burrowing animals such as the few species of phantom sea Sandcreepers and the abundant Pleuronatatians cnidarovertebrates, rarely chasing after small amphibians like Sandlurkers.
To hunt, the animal will often make stops above patches of sand, using its free palatine ears on the open sides of the split skull to hear movement under the sand; when it finds a promising spot, the animal will use the two long palatine tongues to dig into the sandy terrain and wrap around the victim, pulling it out of its burrow forcibly.
Not having a Sphaera Lania, the animal uses the sharp fused teeth of the maxillae to cut its food in smaller bite-sized chunks, using the two tongues to slowly push it inside the mouth and through the two lanial palatines on both sides of the head.
Although not an agile swimmer, the animal can escape danger with intermittent short bursts of speed, usually leaving behind a sand cloud to cover its position from any chasing predator; it will often seek shelter under rocks or, if around it, in the under-reef where it can still fit with the flattened body.
Like all members of their tribe, the species is entirely composed of female specimens which reproduce through parthenogenesis, a feature acquired by the species' ancestral gene expression's flaw during embryological development.
The entire tribe was formed through an error in gene expression around 20 million years ago, which lead to the embryos developing from the pectoral section instead of the dorsal area, which lead to them forming two dorsal sides which never close once the yolk is depleted instead of two ventral sides.
When the taxon was first described, its origins were puzzling to researchers as it seemed to defy normal descriptive methods; today we know the closest living relative of Geminipiscines to be Sogerids such as the Southern Sogero.
The species is often consumed by humans locally and is often cooked in a pan with a thin veil of vegetable oil and herbs; in southern areas, it is also prepared boiled in salted Cook rattle sauce and Weeping Jack's powder.
The animal is very savoury even if cooked unseasoned, having a slightly salty aftertaste as the frailer bones tend to partially dissolve in high heat; the meat is soft and easy to fillet even with a table knife.
Particularly appreciated are the tongues in the northern regions which will often serve them in spicy sauces as a starter.
The species was renamed several times since its discovery in 2361, changing both genus and species name over six times up until the last renaming in 2445 by Lorias Shivkin, who placed it in the Diplolingua genus after thorough phylogenetic analysis of the animal.

Basic Information

Anatomy

• Body mirrored around the pectoral axis and flattened, skeleton split.


• Head round and symmetrical, presence of a sharp beak along the maxillae.


• Palatine tongues long and evident.


• Dorsal sections of the body, before the dorsals, have seven bony serrations along their length.


• Dorsal I fins veiled and rounded, Dorsal II fins moved caudally to create an eucaudal fin.


• Pectoral fins fused in the central section in a distinct V shape.


• Gill Fan flat and wide, ending in a steep caudal drop.

Skeleton:

Show spoiler

Genetics and Reproduction

Parthenogenetic species.
D. harenostriatus mates year long.
Large females will auto-inseminate the eggs they produce on both ducts by producing sperm through the deeper section of the duct, character acquired from their Sogerid ancestors.
A female will incubate the eggs inside the ducts for ten to fifteen days before giving live birth; the young will immediatly move to the mother's back in the characteristic stacked position.
The mother will nurse her young until adulthood, once they leave, the mother will immediately after reproduce again.

Growth Rate & Stages

Ontogenesis in the species quite marked.
Newborns are transparent to better camouflage against their environment and the serrations along the dorsal ends of the body are still unabsorbed.
Natal aculeus absorbed after two months from birth.

Ecology and Habitats

Demersal creature of the Epipelagic zone, found at depths between 5 and 25 m.
They live in Shallow waters among the reefs, usually idling in sandy areas among the rocks and coralline plants.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Predatory organism that hunts small burrowing sandcreepers, pleuronatatians and, rarely even sandlurkers.

Biological Cycle

Periannial creature active all year long.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Gregarious animal found living in small familiar pods of up to five specimens.
The mother will lead the small group, which will swim in a co-ordinated fashion piled one on top of the other to seem like a larger animal.
Social interactions, while limited, are very common among the various members of the group.
Most commonly the mother will be groomed by her offspring.

Domestication

The animal is kept in captivity in shallow water tanks with rounded walls to avoid it hitting the glass and hurting itself; it can be trained to feed from the owner's hand.
Ideal diet for the species would be either live food or proteic pellets that are preferably to be pushed partially inside the sandy bottom of the tank so that the animal can dig them out.
Not recommended for beginner owners.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Of relative economic importance locally for Human consumption and the pet trade.
Although harvesting of the species increased, the populations remain more or less stable.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Lesser Interior, Phantom Sea

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Good hearing and average eyesight.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Afflicted by Intestinal Tube Worms and parasites of the fins.
Afflicted by a specialized typology of drinker worm that attaches itself directly on the ventral surface and into the filtration sac.

Scientific Name

Eoichthyia; Tartarosomnia; Rotunducephalidae; Gladiopinneioidea; Quadratocephaloidea; Sogeridae ; Sogerinae; Geminipiscini; Diplolingua; (Maculopinnis); D. harenostriatus

Lifespan

5 Years

Conservation Status

Least Concern: No measures underway to protect the species.
Population Trend: STABLE

Average Weight

5-17 kg

Average Length

Up to 70 cm

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Teal to Cobalt body striped in yellow.
Head and first section of the body up to the dorsal fins striped in black to dark grey.
Beak blue, tongues light blue.
Serrations purple.
Fins lined in light lime and light purple to pink.
Dorsal fins have one large red spot in the center.