#Pelagic Life​

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #846

Dealfish!

It’s a deep sea pelagic fish that uses its extendable mouth to suck in small fish and squid. It is usually solitary, but congregates with others of its kind for unknown reasons.

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the the Pelagic thresher shark!

The pelagic thresher, also known as the pacific common thresher shark, scientific name Alopias pelagicus, is a common thresher shark. Found along the tropical and subtropical waters in the Pacific and Indian ocean, stretching from South Africa to The West Coast of America. Like other thresher sharks, the pelagic thresher inhabits the open ocean, occasionally coming close to the continental shelf near coral reefs, and seamounts. Seasonally, they migrate North and South, to follow warmer waters. Pelagic threshers are the smallest species of thresher shark, and despite being visually similar to their relatives they can be differentiated by the dark pigment above the pectoral fins and the rounded fin tips.Similar to other threshers, the teeth are smooth and small, with 20-22 teeth per jaw, curved inward to trap prey inside their mouth.

Due to their medium size, the pelagic thresher is predated on by many larger predators. Primarily larger sharks, orcas, and other toothed whales that share an area. They are known to have tapeworm parasites and copepods in the skin. This leads to the symbiotic relationship with cleaner wrasses, who eat their parasites. The pelagic thresher's diet consists of small prey along the mesopelagic zone, primarily lightfishes, barracudas, flying fishes, herrings, squids, and mackerels. This keeps them from competing with other oceanic predators in their size range, such as tuna, billfish, and other sharks. They hunt similar to other thrasher sharks, by swimming tight circles around a school of prey, until they condense. Then, striking with the upper caudal fin tip lobe of the tail to stun. This long tail is often the cause for plegic threshers getting hooked as bycatch for other fishing efforts, specifically having issues with longlines.  Although several commercial fisheries go out of their way to hunt for plegic threshers, leading to their status as endangered.

Just like all other mackerel sharks, the pelagic thresher shark is ovoviviparous, meaning they have young kept in eggs within the mother, and when they hatch, they are born live. Similar to other thresher sharks , the pelagic thresher gives birth to two pups at a time, one per each uterus. They have no defined breeding season and the gestation period is unknown, but assumed to be similar to the year gestation period of common threshers. Pups are born surprisingly large, at about 5 feet in length. As compared to the sexually mature adult size of about 10 feet, the largest recorded being around 11feet. Maturity is reached at around 9 feet in length, which is usually around the 8th or 9th year in females, and around 7-8 years in males. Their lifespan is about 28 years in females, possibly longer, whereas male threshers get the short stick, living only 17 years in comparison.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!

[antiqueanimals]

Plate 48 from A Field Guide to Pacific Coast Fishes, showing deepsea and oceanic fishes that are seldomly encountered by sportsfisherman. From Terra: The Member's Magazine of The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. Volume 22, No. 3. 1984.

Internet Archive

[unproduciblesmackdown]

(genderly) chill as hell if i was only ever glimpsed / detected like this

[soliusss]

what is your birding white whale? mine is the cedar waxwing theyre so gorgeous but ive never seen one close enough to actually count (ive heard them but i wanna see one). your white bird some could say basically a bird that you wanna see real bad but cant seem to find

Ive had a BUNCH of these over the years but ive eventually found them all! First was a brown creeper, which I finally saw a few years ago(it took fucking YEARS for some reason) Then northern gannets + harlequin ducks, which i FINALLY found like a month ago (most birders I'd met had seen them except me). I don't really have any others at the moment, though i would say my current nemeses bird is the steller's sea Eagle. I went up to Maine last year when it was hanging around but for some reason the ONE day I went, nobody saw it. Saw a gorgeous closeup of a golden eagle though. The stellers Appeared the next/previous days, I was just real unlucky. Apparently it's kinda settled in New Brunswick Canada now, so I might try planning another trip this year because otherwise i will literally never be able to see one of those in my lifetime.

[beyon-dark]

Just something to say bout gray scales…

It aint white if it aint light

It aint black if it aint vantablack

Todo lo que veas aquí es para ti <3

[nocturnal-stims]

Newly hatched tripod fish, a deep sea creature also known as the abyssal spiderfish. A eurobathic species (marine life that is able to love at different depth of water), they spend most of their time perching in the ooze-ie, pelagic sediment-at the bottom of the ocean with its elongated fins. The babies, however, are born near the surface of the ocean.

🫧 High_seas_science on IG

[llamagoddessofficial]

Hey, how would the siren guys react to a whale shark mc? Heheee, :0 (whale shark face) fella

HEEEE

Sans: Since whale sharks are filter feeders, she's technically a mermaid!

I imagine that a whale shark Mc is incredibly chill and relaxed. She's very big, very beautiful, and very friendly... adult whale sharks don't really have anything to fear, so she's easygoing and sweet-natured with pretty much everyone.

She thinks he's handsome, and very smart. Orca would only pose a realistic threat to her if they approached in a big group, but he's alone- she's not even slightly worried. She asks him about life as a predator, his adventures around the world, she dreams of seeing the poles but she's not built for staying in cold water. He entertains her with stories of the arctic.

... Sans isn't used to encountering mermaids who aren't terrified of him. He isn't used to encountering sirens who aren't terrified of him. She talks to him like he's a normal person, engages with him... it actually makes him less insane and murderous, as it's the first time he's been treated like a person since his pod died. He naturally becomes deeply attached to her... she's delighted he wants to keep her company and she welcomes his presence. They're 'best friends' that travel around together. It's good that she's a filter feeder, because though he'd absolutely kill for her, he has no need to.

Red: Red loves a big beautiful lady. This is one of the fundamental laws of the universe. The bigger the better- and she's literally the biggest shark out there. What's not to love? He's head over heels. His only regret is that they can't seriously play fight, because she could probably snap him in half. That's hot- but it would be inappropriate in public.

She loves his attention. Sure, Sans is handsome, but... well, Red is literally the ideal by shark standards. Being a filter feeder doesn't make her resistant to his scars, his teeth, his charms. She giggles when he calls her majestic, she flushes when he says he'd like to sightsee coral reefs with her. But she doesn't really take his flirting seriously. She thinks he'd want a girlfriend who's more aggressive, an apex like him- someone with more 'bite'. She's seen how feisty female tiger sharks are. She's not like that.

Sans is absolutely seething that this asshole is trying to steal his girlfriend. They're regularly at each other's throats when her back is turned. It's very easy for her to break up their fights, though, since she physically overpowers them both.

Skull: Pretty similar to Sans, in respect to Mc being sweet and friendly has the dual effect of calming him down but also driving him kinda wild for her. Whale sharks do occasionally make dives to deeper water, so it makes sense their paths would cross.

He's enraptured. She's like a big, friendly angel, her pattern is literally rays of sun. He wants to be near to someone who isn't afraid of him. He's a little heartbroken he can't bring her food gifts, since they don't eat the same way, but pebbles still work. And he's deeply impressed by how much plankton/krill she can eat in one go.

Though the difference between them isn't as intense as it is with leaf sheep Mc, she's still a very pelagic creature, and he's a very NOT pelagic creature. She's fascinated by his completely alien, deep-sea biology. Lots of her being delighted by his light shows.

[pkmnprofloblolly]

Hello! Trainer from Alola here, big fan of your work. I was wondering; is there any evidence of any legendary pokemon being related to other pokemon? For example, does Rayquaza share any DNA with other dragon pokemon? (I know it would be extremely difficult to get any rayquaza DNA fhshfjd) Or are pokemon like that entirely their own species?

the answer is, as with many things on this blog.. it depends!

"legendary pokemon" aren't really a cohesive category like, say, a type or a taxonomic group. the only common factors are that they tend to be very rare and that they have legends about them. as our examples, let's use two groups of hoenn legendary pokemon: latios and latias, and groudon, kyogre, and rayquaza.

latios and latias (like other pairs such as nidoqueen and nidoking, or volbeat and illumise, latios and latias are sexually dimorphic members of the same species) are indeed related to other pokemon- they're birds! specifically, they're in the auk family, which are a group of generally stout, seafaring birds like guillemots and puffins. this may seem strange- the latis appear to have wings and arms, and no legs, very unlike birds. however, if we take a look at their skeleton, the connection becomes much more obvious:

what we generally interpret as arms are actually the lati's legs, the thighs of which are obscured by flesh and feathers. while they use their wings to steer and for some lift, the latis generally stay aloft with their psychic powers rather than traditional flight, which is why they can hover in place. this has freed up their legs for use in manipulating objects, and they are rarely seen standing on their feet. because they mostly rely on hovering, their legs no longer have the strength to hold their large bodies up for very long.

these pokemon are indeed exceptionally rare, having very low population numbers in only a few regions, and spending most of their time over open ocean. like many pelagic seabirds, they breed on only a few small islands, like alto mare off the johto region and southern island off hoenn's south coast. their populations are on the upswing, though, in large part due to concentrated conservation efforts on those islands. point being, though, they are indeed just animals. rare, powerful animals, but animals nonetheless.

many legendary pokemon fall into this camp. articuno, zapdos, and moltres, lugia and ho-oh, heatran, and various others.

.

conversely, the so-called weather trio of hoenn: groudon, kyogre, and rayquaza. these three are even more rarely seen than the latis, only having been sighted in recent times during their clash in hoenn nearly two decades ago. despite the three's resemblance to other living pokemon, as far as we know they are entirely unrelated to any known animals, or even any other life on earth.

this is known because evidence of these pokemon have been found dating back over 3 billion years ago, that is to say over a billion years before multicellular life even existed. gigantic fragments of footprints attributed to groudon have been sighted alongside some of the earliest fossils we know of of early bacteria. modern physical samples from these pokemon- the extremely few that have ever been recovered- have never resulted in any dna evidence, and appear in structure much more similar to inorganic matter.

as it stands, it appears these pokemon arose some time early (relatively speaking) after the earth formed, being (as opposed to natural living organisms) animate representations of the forces of nature themselves. a similar condition is often assumed for some other grandiose legendary pokemon, such as dialga and palkia, though much less tangible evidence exists for their presence in prehistoric time, so this is mostly an assumption based on their infrequent appearances & legends surrounding their origins.

[aeriona]

Do you have tips for drawing/designing Xeno styled inkfish? They’re so shaped

of course!

Generally when I draw xenos, I try to emphasise non-human traits as much as possible by incorporating in real-life cephalopod biology. Basically I try to make it extremely obvious that what you're looking at isn't human, but actually something else entirely.

A good start is to do away with joints/bones entirely, and to add spots/patterns to the skin to make it appear less mammalian. Suckers on the fingers and faintly-pigmented skin also help as well.

The eyes are also another important thing! Most pelagic squids have round pupils in real life, but I tend to draw inklings with horizontal pupils anyway as it helps achieve that creaturely effect I'm going for.

Of course everyone has their own unique approach to xeno inkfish, these are merely suggestions and not a ruleset or anything haha. It’s taken me a while to find a style I’ve found most comfortable, and even then I regularly change stuff as I learn more about cephalopods. The beauty of xeno designs is that it's entirely up to you where you decide to go with it. You don’t even have to be realistic, literally the only baseline is creature!

I hope this was helpful to you!

[obsidian-lantern]

Hey, so do you have more drawings of those 4 characters you posted from Siren's universe? And maybe a bit about them. Like, I see stuff about all your other characters, but I have never seen anything of those 4. Pretty please?

Yes I do, quit a lot actually. First one is a young man named Ebenezer Elwood, (17-20 years of age) Lived most of his life in the City of Aakhan. He grew up with his family who are Leonights. He was recently blessed by the Divine himself (LEO) becoming a muse. He later met with a mage named Nadira. Eben, amazed by her knowledge, asks if she could teach him to become a stronger mage. Nadira is hesitant at first but decides to take him under her wing and teach him.

Next is Nadira Rayza Age: In her mid 50s (Using blood magic to stay in her prime) An X-White Mage with a dangerous curiosity for forbidden magics. Hiding in the deserts she studies and creates blood runes in an attempts to gain grate power. Later adopting a young mage to study under her wing.

Then we have Hakon (Age early to mid 30s), A Munite on the search for an answer to brake a terrible curs pleased on him by his own people. A practicing doctor branded a witch after being blamed for starting a pelage that killed many in his town. Now dabbling in the dark arts for answers.

And lastly we have Celio A young avian boy (about 7 years old) who was abandoned by his mother in the middle of the deserts. He was found by the Divine BEK who granted him muse hood, now welding the ability to manifest light into physical objects. He is then later rescued from a Halfblood auction by Nadira and is currently under her care.

I have more drawings of them but this is what I can fit in a post TuT

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Daily fish fact #493

Pelagic stingray!

Their colouration can vary from teal to purple! They tend to grow to be about 130 cm long (4.3 feet) and 60 cm (23 inches) wide.

[bethanythebogwitch]

I must make an apology. Last Wet Beast Wednesday I declared that I was balancing out the vertebrate/invertebrate balance of this series. However, I realized that all the invertebrates I've covered have been arthropods. This is a grave misrepresentation of invertebrate diversity and I must make amends. Thus, this week we're returning to the no bone zone and talking about siphonophores.

(Image: a collage of different siphonophore species, sourced from Wikipedia)

Siphonophores are cnidarians: soft-bodies, radially symmetrical organisms that also include jellyfish, anemones, and corals. They are definitely amongst the weirdest of cnidarians. Most of them look like either a jellyfish or an anemone, but siphonophores run a whole gamut of shapes: from the jellyfish-like Portugese man-o-war to the vaguely comb jelly-like Praya dubia, to whatever the heck this thing is

It looks like a bunch of glass vases on a stick (image: Marrus orthocanna)

Their appearance is the least weird thing abut them. Siphonophores are colonial organisms. Each individual animal is composed of multiple smaller organisms called zooids. All zooids share the same DNA, but are specialized to perform different functions as determined by their morphology. Because each type of zooid is specialized to perform a single function, they are dependent on each other to survive and cannot exist alone. Cnidarians exist in two forms, which many will switch between during their life cycle: sessile polyps and mobile medusas. Siphonophores do this differently, with each zooid type being either a medusa of a polyp. Biologists have described multiple types of zooids found across many species of siphonophore. These include nectophores (used for propulsion), gastrozooids (used for digestion), palpons (used to regulate gastrovascular fluids), gonophores (used in reproduction), and pneumatophores (gas-filled floats only found in some species).

(image: a diagram of different zooid types. Source)

There are 175 known species of siphonophore. The majority of species are pelagic, remaining in open water their entires lives, though a few reside on the sea floor. While they do have some ability to direct their movements, like jellyfish, they are often pulled along by currents. The majority of species live in the deep sea and deep-sea species are often larger than shallow-sea species. Like their jellyfish and anemone relatives, siphonophores are predators who use tentacles to capture prey. Each tentacle is covered with stinging cells called nematocysts that fire venom-coated barbs into organisms that touch them. The prey is then pulled into gastrozooids and digested. Most species are capable of bioluminescence, which is likely used for defense. Some species also develop bioluminescent lures used to attract prey. Some siphonophore can get extremely large, with the species Praya dubia reaching u to 50 meters (160 ft), making it longer than a blue whale and possibly the longest animal in the world depending on how you measure the bootlace worm.

(image: a Praya dubia catching fish)

Siphonophores reproduce with varying methods, some of which are poorly-understood. A new colony usually begins form a single fertilized egg. This egg hatched into a single protozooid that then produces other zooids via budding. In many species, the protozooid will form a central stalk from which groups of other zooids will bud. Other species use polyps that can be ejected into the water carrying eggs and sperm which they use to fertilize themselves. In any case, special zooids called gonophores are used to make the gametes. Different species are either dioecious (each colony has either male or female gonophores) or monoecious (each colony contains both male and female gonophores.

(Image: a diagram of a siphonophore life cycle. Source)

Cnidarians are believed to have existed since the precambrian, though as soft-bodied animals fossilize more rarely, the exact origin of siphonophores is not known. Some scientists speculate that the colonial nature of siphonophores may represent an early stage in the development of true organ systems. If this is correct, the development would go something along the lines of colonies of single-celled organisms -> colonies of single-celled organisms with differentiated functions -> siphonophore-like colonial organisms -> individual organisms with differentiated organ systems.

This one's called a "long, stringy, stingy thingy". No really, look it up (image: Apolemia uvaria)

The most famous siphonophore and the first one described is Physalia physalis, the Portugese man-o-war or bluebottle. It is a neuston, an organism that lives at the boundary between water and air. Its most notable feature is the enlarged float filled with carbon monoxide that keeps it floating at the surface of the water. The float functions as a sail, letting it travel thousands of miles. Stinging tentacles trail below it to collect prey. The sting of a bluebottle is very painful to humans and can even be lethal in rare circumstances. Many a beach trip has been ruined by a man-o-war sting. Its morphology and development is different enough from other siphonophores that I may dedicate a whole post to it in the future.

(image: a Portugese man-o-war)

[toskarin]

To celebrate Bandcamp Friday, I've updated both of my tabletop soundtrack packs, OMEN/CONSTANCE and NOMAD/VIRTUE

In a nice little twist of fate, both albums now have a similar runtime, clocking in at just over an hour each! I'm honestly just as surprised as anyone else is

Whether you're diving into the writhing abyss where eyed-things dare not crawl or warming your hands with the fire surging from your rival's overclocked heatblade, Ri47 Heavy Industries is proud to soundtrack your most memorable adventures

As is tradition, I've also knocked a little bit off of both albums' price tags. If you already own either album, you already own both of these updates for free

So what's on the menu? Check below the break!

[Featured Track: Primordial Leviathans and the Vanishing Shore]

OMEN/CONSTANCE: Update 1 takes your table into places far from the light of the sun, featuring three new songs and two new ambient worldscapes themed around pelagic horror and the cruel tide.

With the authentic sounds of survival horror at your side, let the unspeakable sea erode the walls of a normal life, leaving nothing but the smell of salt and bygone rot in its many-mouthed wake.

Whether you would uncover secrets that ought to have been left beneath their shrouds or cling desperately to the side of some great and horrible truth, let OMEN/CONSTANCE - Soundtrack for Oneiric Roleplaying be your most ardent of accompaniments as you plunge boots-first into strangling darkness.

...and whispering water.

[Featured Track: Schimmelreiter]

NOMAD/VIRTUE: Farewell Update stands wreathed in the fires of triumph, featuring three new songs themed around a grand finale and the sacrifices made to forge it, to see this mission to its end — come hell or high explosives.

The Farewell Update is intended for use as a multi-staged encounter theme for the culminating battle of your campaign. To this end, the Farewell Update includes a traditional overpowered encounter theme, a surrealistic fanfare for the last desperate push towards victory, and a bittersweet epilogue track for tying up those loose ends before your ride into the ashen sunset.

Whether you cling to hot iron and force just one more moment's advantage, steady yourself against the shearing wind to pull the trigger one last time, or fall from the arms of a loving orbit to save just one life, let NOMAD​/​VIRTUE - Soundtrack for Mechanised Roleplaying be your copilot as you tear yourself free, rising from the wreckage to defy the best laid plans of mechanised gods and electronic devils.

-

Just over half a year from the album's original release date, after two free updates and well into its sequel's lifespan, Ri47 Heavy Industries decided to prepare a third and final update to our debut soundtrack as a surprise to those who got us here in the first place

From our house to yours, thank you for your continued support. - Rin

[ohmenai]

La Isla Bonita Berenjena

The sea breeze caressed me as I walked on the golden sand. I will never forget my adventure on Eggplant Island, a place known for its lush landscapes and men with massive attributes. Then, Mandla emerged from the jungle like an ancient god, a warrior with colossal hips, prominent belly, muscled huge legs, and a beard that promised endless stories was the very image of power.

His afro hair, a perfect crown that set his imposing silhouette against the infinite sky. The wings of his armpits, adorned with dark, dense curls, exhaling the intoxicating fragrance of testosterone, effortlessly seducing. And there, among the vast thicket of his pelage and the voluptuous balcony of his belly, stands the legend: a superb deep purple cock, a living icon, swaying with each step like the mast of a ship challenging the waves. For him, the eggplant between his thighs is not just an emoji, it's a banner of his lineage, the glorious insignia of his sovereign virility.

With his hands on his head in a gesture that denoted power and pride, Mandla was the epitome of virility. I won't lie, I felt intimidated yet mesmerized. The myths were true; his cock was of epic proportions, a sweet berenjena that hung between his legs, as imposing and proud as its owner. I was a privileged spectator of a photo session that bordered on the most exquisite obscenity. Mandla looked at me, and his gaze was an implicit invitation to join the fauna of this island of unspeakable pleasures. His poses were a series of obscene declarations and the veins of his dick like paths inviting to a moist and warm journey.

It was like seeing a god among mortals, a lord of the shadows impregnated with the elixir of life, a throbbing fantasy turned flesh and sweat. Without a doubt, for those who, like me, delight in excess, in unfiltered passion, this encounter was a feast for the senses, a feast that started and ended with the monument of lust he flaunted with impunity. Nothing was modest here; everything was excessive, overflowing, and I was there to document every second of the frenzy that only these lands could conceive.

Today, the camera is a witness to the truth behind the myth, and the island plays at being Eden, where the forbidden fruit is not an apple, but the salacious promise of an eggplant.

Available now at Fanvue and Patreon!

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the dusky shark!

The dusky shark, known by scientific name Carcharhinus obscurus, is a pelagic shark found worldwide along the continental shelf. They can be found on almost all shores, from Southern parts of North America, Eastern Shores of North America, stretching downard to Argentina, with a large population in the Gulf of Mexico. They can be found along the western shore of Africa, and some areas of the Eastern shore, and all around the shore of Australia, preferring tropical and subtropical regions. This shark is migratory, and when it starts getting warmer in the summer, these sharks move closer to the poles, however when it becomes colder again, they flee closer to the equator. Its range tends to overlap with that of the oceanic whitetip sharks, sandbar sharks, and silky sharks, making some sightings possibly discreditable, but it is identifiable by the sickle shaped dorsal and pectoral fins.

As an apex predator, dusky sharks are not relatively abundant. They have few significant predators, with most being larger sharks, which prey on juveniles.However, in beaches where shark nets have been set up, keeping larger sharks away, dusky sharks have moved in, decimating fish populations in the area unchecked. The diet of the dusky shark is wide, considering they will hunt all levels of the water column within the pelagic zone, preferring to hunt along the seafloor. The dusky shark has a bite force of 130 pound, and will eat just about anything. Any fish they can catch, crabs, barnacles, other sharks, turtles, marine mammals. This diet can support dusky sharks getting pretty large for a requiem shark. The largest recorded was 14ft in length, although most only get as large as 10ft.

Like other requiem sharks, the dusky shark has embryos that are nursed by a yolk well in the womb, and gestated for between 22-24 months. Litters of these sharks can have a range of 3-16 at a time, and breeding season is dependent on population and season. Newborns are only 2-3 feet in length, and those with smaller litters are larger. Then for the first year of the pups life, it will stay near the mother, before splitting off on their own. After this the juveniles will reach sexual maturity at about 5 years of age, with a lifespan of 40-50 years!

Have a wonderful day, everyone!