Karasatten

The Karasatten are a species of alien sea creature which came to Earth with the Gene Sea.

Basic Information

Anatomy

The Karasatten are giant shelled mollusks, sometimes reaching up to 5 metres in height. Their soft bodies are encased in a thick shell which protects them from predators. Karasatten have solved the problem of how to grow inside a hard shell by developing a complex biochemical mechanism in which the interior of the shell is dissolved to make more room at the same time as a thin layer with a glue-like slime is secreted on the outside which acts as a catalyst to deposit material that extends the structure. Thus they are never presented with the need to replace the shell at any one moment and can continually and incrementally grow their defences, however this mechanism only works on dry land, so Karasatten live in shallow water near beaches where they can periodically emerge to build their shells.

Biological Traits

There is some variety in the shell designs of different individuals, including this remarkable example of the rare fluted geometry.

Karasatten by DMFW with Midjourney

Growth Rate & Stages

Karasatten are born live, with relatively simple and thin shells. At this stage they are vulnerable to predation and the mothers give birth on land at high tide, usually to clutches of twenty to thirty individuals as we can see in the illustration. Survival rates during the first year are only about twenty percent but thereafter improve slightly. In a typical clutch only one individual will make it to the ten year mark, but by that time their shell will be string enough to resist predation from Ptral and will then typically live for a very long time, upwards of two hundred years.

Ecology and Habitats

Karasatten like shallow coastal waters and prefer to live not far from tidal zones on beaches where they can periodically come ashore to build their shells. Underwater, they live in colonies and are filter feeders growing slowly but over very long timescales.

Behaviour

Karasatten colonies show some evidence of organisation to inhibit the actions of hostile species and provide limited protection for their young. They build and reinforce walls below the waves, although it is a constant battle to maintain their fortresses against the energy of the water.

Additional Information

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Karasatten are colony animals and may be found on and off the shoreline of the temperate sandy beaches of Trass and Fereth. The greatest concentration is found on Welk Island in the Bay of Ptral on the north west coast of Trass.

Lifespan

250 years

Average Height

3 to 5 metres

Average Weight

140 kg

Average Length

1 metre