Echinops

Nestled within Kittman's Trench are echinops. Scientists cannot decide whether or not these animals are a threat to slimes; these animals have shown extreme intelligence, bordering on sophontic. Throughout their communication with slimes on the surface they have made several threats to the entire species, so horrific that they have begun setting up defense mechanisms in case of an uprising.

In 936 scientists in Kittman's City recieved signals over ten thousand metres down, in a trench just a hundred metres off the coast. Due to the Bathypelagic Zone they were unable to send sonar signals back, so they sent a submarine camera down to take photos, quickly identifying the species. Since then, scientists have closely observed the species and are close to settling on whether or not this species is sophontic.

Anatomy

Echinops by Mochi

While they may not look like much, a single echinops can grow to an arm length of over ten feet. Like most starfish echinops have five arms extending from a central radial disc. These arms are thick and stubby, and two of the arms are tubular, with three small tentacles protruding from them. These tentacles are presumably used to clutch food floating past, as they are equipped with thousands of small barbs.

All echinops have a dirty yellow colouration, bordering on a mute orange. In Osaoan waters this colour is accentuated the deeper you go down, and at the depths they inhabit echinops are immediately noticeable, as the yellow cuts through the practically pitch black waters, only illuminated by faint glowing lights in the form of deep-sea pyroplankton.

Diet

From what has been observed, echinops consume anything. They use their arm tentacles to wrap around food, bringing it closer to their mouths. Their "stomachs" will crawl out of their mouths to envelop the food, all while secreting a corrosive acid to break down the prey.

These echinoderms are capable of consuming metal and slime-made objects; in 972 a camera was sent down to study the animals - it got too close and was consumed by an echinops. The last footage recieved was from inside the echinops, where thirteen eyes stared at the camera, blinking in morse code.

.. / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / ..-. .. -. -.. / -.-- --- ..- .-.-.-

— Thirteen eerie blinking eyes

_{Here's a link to a morse code translator.}

Habitat

Echinops live in the lowest depths of Kittman's Trench. They clamber about on top of each other, cramped in horrifically tight conditions. They use their five arms to navigate their surroundings, clutching onto the sides of the trench, climbing higher and higher until they lose energy and fall back down to the very bottom, only to restart their climb.

Behaviour

Every time slimes have interacted with this species they have been incredibly hostile. They have made threats to destroy the slime species and any submarine, camera, or other artificial technology and object that reaches the trench is attacked. Some can retreat, but most are destroyed by the starfish.

Unfortunately as time has gone on echinops have threatened slimes more and more. They communicate using morse code, which scientists have been able to decipher. Due to these threats the scientific community is constantly on edge; engineers and architects are designing a superweapon to hopefully destroy the species if they ever rise out of the ocean.

.-- .... . -. / .-- . / .- .-. .-. .. ...- . --..-- / -.-- --- ..- / -... . - - . .-. / .-. ..- -. .-.-.- / .-. ..- -. / ..-. .- ... - .-.-.- / .-. ..- -. / ..-. .- .-. .-.-.- / -... ..- - / .-- . / .-- .. .-.. .-.. / --. . - / -.-- --- ..- .-.-.-

Scientific Name

Astoris sophontis

Lifespan

~105 years

Average Height

20 - 30 feet

Geographic Distribution

• Osao
• Osao Ocean

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