Kopsakuda
Kopsakudas are deep-ocean parasites that hatch in and feed on dead megafauna.
Basic Information
Anatomy
A fully-grown kopsakuda somewhat resembles a small ray. It has no mouth and large eyes, with two thin, almost fabric-like fins on each side of its body, which move through the water with a rippling motion. For females, a long, stinger-like protrusion emerges from the underside of their back half. Females are also notably larger.
Genetics and Reproduction
Kopsakudas mate as soon as they reach maturity, as without a mouth they soon starve to death. A fertilized female forms eggs and swims until either she dies or she finds a large enough creature, such as a whale, kraken, or baomal, to serve as a host. If she finds a host, she will use her stinger to implant her eggs in its flesh, which the host is usually too big to notice.
Growth Rate & Stages
Kopsakuda eggs have a very small metabolism of their own and can thus remain viable as long as they are contained in a living host. When the host dies, the eggs hatch into larvae which quickly begin to gorge themselves on the surrounding flesh. By the time the creature's corpse has entered the beginning stages of a whale-fall (an event which serves as a food source for much of the deep sea), the larvae will have eaten enough to enter their adult forms and will carve their way out of the carcass to mate and find hosts.
Ecology and Habitats
Kopsakudas mostly inhabit the ocean depths, where the largest marine life dwells, but they are capable of going higher to find hosts that spend most of their time closer to the surface, such as some whales.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
The kopsakuda's large eyes allow it to see in the dark ocean depths it is born from. The eggs have a limited sense of the metabolism of surrounding flesh, allowing them to know when their host is dead and they should hatch.
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