#anemone-anatomy

[montereybayaquarium]

Sit and simmer in the simple sea-renity of this scintillating sunburst anemone from our Splash Zone.

[dinopepitah]

@vam-piritz and @goldenstrwbrry designs are here omg im so sorry for pinging again LMAO

Did you know every Sam existing in this universe share the same braincell

Also @lunonehz ill need to draw ur design with a ref.... hes so bbygirl

[flawseer]

Jade Mountain Academy students

#Bonus - Faculty chapter

And here, as has been requested, we have the ones in charge of the operation. And so I am left pondering that, over the course of this project, I have drawn essentially all of the arc 1 and arc 2 protagonists... with the exception of Glory. That's pretty weird.

Anyway, here goes:

Sunny

Teaches subject(s) - Art, Cultural Exchange

Additional responsibilities- Founder, chief administrator, student admission, teacher-student relations, Silver winglet guardian

Tribe - Sandwing (partial Nightwing heritage)

Color - Sunrise gold

Relatives - Stonemover (father)

Physical characteristics - bright golden color; green eyes; no venom barb; small stature with slim to average build

Tsunami

Teaches subject(s) - Exercise

Additional responsibilities- "Head of School", security chief, Jade winglet guardian

Tribe - Seawing

Color - Cobalt blue

Relatives - Prince Turtle (brother), Princess Anemone (sister)

Physical characteristics - bent horns; royal wing markings; small burn scar on right side of neck, small cut in wing membrane; large build, long and burly

Clay

Teaches subject(s) - Anatomy

Additional responsibilities- Chief healer, student counselor, Copper winglet guardian

Tribe - Mudwing

Color - Bronze

Relatives - Umber (brother), Sora (sister), Marsh (brother)

Physical characteristics - curly horns; diminished mobility in right hindleg, walks with a limp; very large stature, muscular, heavy, broad

Starflight

Teaches subject(s) - Science, Literacy

Additional responsibilities- Chief librarian, chief accountant, Quartz winglet guardian

Tribe - Nightwing

Color - Midnight blue gray

Relatives - none on site

Physical characteristics - severe burn scarring across face, neck, and chest; blind in both eyes; average size and build

Fatespeaker

Teaches subject(s) - Science, Literacy (assisting)

Additional responsibilities- Assistant librarian, assistant student counselor, inventory

Tribe - Nightwing

Color - Dark violet black

Relatives - none on site

Physical characteristics - curved horns; small silver scales near eyes and along body; smallish stature, slim, slightly underweight

Webs

Teaches subject(s) - History

Additional responsibilities- Assistant healer, assistant accountant, Gold winglet guardian

Tribe - Seawing

Color - Teal green and blue

Relatives - none on site

Physical characteristics - blotty, luminous markings across body, luminous birthmark on left front talon; small puncture scar on tail; medium to large size, gaunt frame

Stonemover

Tribe - Nightwing

Relatives - Sunny (daughter)

Additional notes - Stonemover is neither a member of the Jade Mountain Academy faculty, nor a student, but remains on site as a consultant on various animus-related matters (and also because he is stuck to the floor).

[caffstrink]

Anemone anatomy

[bethanythebogwitch]

It's too bad Halloween was yesterday because I would have done a Wet Beast Wednesday on something creepy, like the tongue-biting isopod. It's not though, so so I'm dipping my toes into echinoderm science and talking about crinoids. While crinoids are the least famous echinoderms, being overshadowed by their relatives the starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers, they are extremely well-represented in the fossil record. We know of far more extinct crinoid species than living ones.

(imag id: a crinoid attached to a rock. It is a long, slender stalk with multiple threadlike protrusions emerging from it. At the top is a crown that looks like a flower composed of feathery appendages. It is while all over)

As with all echinoderms, crinoids are bilaterally symmetrical as larvae for become radially symmetrical while adults. It is hypothesized that the ancestor of all echinoderms was a bilaterally symmetrical animal that evolved to become radially symmetrical as adults. This places echinoderms in the same clade as all other bilaterally symmetrical animals, including mollusks, arthropods, most worms, and all vertebrates. You are more closely related to a starfish than a starfish is to a jellyfish. Crinoids are one of those animals like anemones that look more like flowers than animals, which is why they're also called sea lilies. A typical juvenile crinoid consists of a stalk with a holdfast on one end and crown on the other. The stalk is segmented and made of porous calcified material called ossicles, which are attached to each other by discs. This is the part of a crinoid that fossilizes most easily and a great many crinoid fossils are only known from their stems. The holdfast is a root-like structure that attaches the crinoid to a substrate. Crinoids that attach to a hard surface have a branching holdfast to grip on while crinoids that attach to sediment have a thick, stalk-like holdfast that penetrates into the substrate like a tree's taproot. The crown is the part that looks like a flower and consists of two parts: the theca/calyx/arboral cup and the rays. The theca is shaped like a cup and has a mouth in the center. The mouth connects to a simple u-shaped gut that leads to an anus near the mouth. The rays are analogous to the arms of a starfish. All echinoderms have 5 symmetrical body segments and crinoids have five rays, though they usually branch after emerging from the theca, resulting in up to a few hundred total rays. The rays are segmented like the stalk and can curl up. Crinoids will curl up their arms and pull them in to protect them. The rays are used in feeding. Crinoids are passive suspension feeders that wait for plankton and organic particles to be carried into the rays by the current. Each ray is covered by flexible appendages called pinnules that give the rays a feathery appearance. Each pinnule is covered by tube feet that are coated in sticky mucus. When a food particle hits the tube feet, they grab on and transfer it to the center of the ray, which contains a canal called the ambulacral groove. The groove is filled with cilia that carry the food particle down to the mouth. All crinoids take this form during their juvenile phase, but only a few modern species retain it for their entire lives. Most modern species will shift into an adult form where the stalk falls off and the theca becomes free-swimming. These are often called feather stars. Both stalked crinoids and feather stars can use their rays to pull themselves along the substrate, but feather stars can also wave their rays around to swim. Swimming allows feather stars to more readily avoid danger and become more active in their attempts to catch food.

(image: a diagram of crinoid anatomy. source)

(gif id: a feather star swimming. It looks like a bunch of black-and-white striped feathers attached to a central disc. The arms are undulating, propelling the feather star through the water)

Crinoids are dioecious, meaning individuals are either male or female. In most species, the gonads are in the pinnules closest to the theca. The gonads actually swell up and cause the pinnules to burst and release the gametes. Different species have different strategies. In some, both sperm and eggs will be released into the water column. In others, only the males broadcast sperm which the females use to fertilize their eggs. The eggs are withheld by the mother, either by gluing them to her arms or incubated in sacs on the arms. The larvae, called vitellaria, are free-swimming and bilaterally symmetrical. They will swim for a few days before dropping to the substrate and attaching. They then metamorphose into juveniles.

(image: a diagram showing a crinoid progressing through multiple developmental stages from fertilized egg to larva. source)

The fossil history of crinoids dates back to the Ordovician period (485-444 million years ago), the period between the Cambrian and Silurian. While echinoderms and even stalked echinoderms existed during the Cambrian, the oldest definitive crinoid fossils are Ordovician and it's unclear which extinct group that crinoids evolved from. For over two hundred million years, crinoids were extremely diverse and were dominant sessile filter feeders, beating out anemones and corals. The mass extinction at the end of the Permian dealt a major blow to crinoids that they never recovered from, causing them to lose their dominance and become much less morphologically diverse. The Permian mass extinction is a fascinating period of history as it was the single greatest mass extinction in the history of Earth. The early Triassic saw a mass adaptation to more flexible and motile body plans in response to increased predation. It's not clear when feather stars entered the picture, though they may have come about due to predation in the Triassic. Some extinct crinoids had different survival strategies than modern ones. The genus Pentacrinites attached themselves to driftwood and floated through the open ocean. They would have been like floating islands of diversity moving through the oceans with lots of other animals following for food and shelter. A fact that gets passed around a lot is that the largest fossil crinoid ever found (Taxocrinus saratogensis) was 40 meters (130 ft) long. That isn't true and seems to stem from a misprint. It was actually 40 ft (12.2 m) long, which is still fucking enormous. Crinoids today don't get anywhere near as large as extinct ones could. Fossil crinoids measuring many meters in stem length are well documented while ones alive today never even reach a meter long. Crinoid fossils are extremely common and can be used to provide relative dates to nearby fossils. In some places, enough crinoid parts fossilized near each other that they became clustered together in sedimentary rocks called encrinites.

(image id: a fossil imprint of many crinoids attached to a piece of driftwood. The imprints ore in a flat, tan rock. The driftwood imprint looks like a long, dark blob. The crinoids have long, curved, and overlapping stems and fan-like crowns at the top. Fossil found at the Houston Museum of Natural Science)

[pillowspace]

Oh, I really like that idea. The family fluff and them treating y/n like a pup. I have so many questions my dear.

What I've been thinking is would y/n be built different? Living in water most of the time since being a child would affect their anatomy I imagine. Things like having wider, more developed shoulders, thighs or upper body (what you can often see on professional swimmers) would come as natural i assume also the trained ability to hold breath for longer periods of time and being able to use mer language.

But I wonder if their body would also adapt to environment in some different ways, would they develop abilities and anatomy not quite natural for humans? Like better eyesight under the water, possibility to digest raw food without getting sick due to this kind of diet they practiced their whole life or natural intuition regarding animals, their intentions and moods.

Would they have contact with other mermaids? Something like Spider from avatar the way of water like being a weird monkey friend among a group of mers.

How would they learn about human culture? the human language?

As a bilingual person I sometimes struggle with proverbs or slang, because you can't translate them word to word, they won't make any sense that way, I like to think y/n would have the same problem haha. Like imagine them saying ,, Nah there is no way they ripped their gills as a pup in this" which would translate to having something as a hobby you spent lots of time and work on.

Also would they struggle with human speech as an adult? Like despite the education would they struggle with some words or didn't knew the meaning?

After growing up would they live on the shore? Boat? Or in the village near the water?

You wrote about them being totally oblivious to human dating strategies and I'm in love with it. Love me some oblivious y/n's. But also let's reverse that y/n have a human friend that found something cool like a pretty rock or a seashell and knowing y/n is someone who loves sea and has surprisingly big collection of rare shells, rocks etc they showed it to them like:

Friend: Look what I found while diving last week! * shows the pretty pearl/shell/rock/some anemone*

Y/n : Oh! It rare, must be brought from away, not appear here. *after inspecting tries to give it back*

Friend: No No! Keep it it's for you, it reminded me of you when I saw it so I took it. It's not as gorgeous as the rest of your collection but I hope you will accept it!

Y/n being convinced they are trying to court them now : :O *Runs to Sun and Moon* Dads/Guys holy fuck

And like they start this chain of present giving where

Y/n : omg courting omg what I do? They are good providers, good eyes, strong. I must show the same! I will think about it but I will show I'm interested, considering the proposition *Gives sea glass*

Friend: Hahaha exchanging not really meaningful gifts and eating lunch with my bff. Oh! A sea glass! I must repay for a gift with another! So fun!

Or the other scenario where there is a mer that doesn't know y/n have been raised by mers and knows a lot about human culture for some reason and tries to court them that way and they are both so confused.

Also I think it would be funny if y/n had a sea slugs obsession, like they are their favourite animal, they are like sea puppies for them. And they feel personally attacked when someone doesn't know about them.

Ohhh I'm sorry about rambling but I'm in awe of this au I would love to hear more about it! The relationships dynamics! Characters! Everything! Everyday you surprise with your creativity more and more!

I'm gonna say "PROBABLY" to all of the anatomy stuff because I was not even aware of that being a thing for professional swimmers

Yeah, they'd be able to hold their breath for awhile! Not an abnormal amount of time though, however you'd define that (one of my friends can hold its breath for 2 whole minutes). I would like to also imagine that there is a way for Y/N to breathe underwater for a period of time with Sun and Moon's help. Like how in some romantic AUs, it's done through a kiss, but kisses themselves aren't inherently romantic in nature, are they? So the very cute image I'm getting here is Sun telling Y/N to hold their breath, pulling them under the water, then pressing his mouth to the top of their hair to do a very exaggerated "mmmmm...wah!!" like parrot owners do with their parrots. There's a few little sparkles around the top of their head, then Y/N is freely giggling under the water. Sun swims around them in circles like "swim with me! Swim with me! Like this!"

They can also use mer language. It would perhaps sound a little bit like there's a speech impediment to a mer. Still understandable though, so *Sun voice* 👏👏 good job, good job!! :D

Yeah, they can digest raw food better than the average human can!

I'd like to imagine Y/N meets other mers too, yeah. Maybe even gets to play with some other child mers, and Moon has to warn them that his kid is more delicate so they have to be careful. Y/N might feel a little left out though, so Sun and Moon still take them back to the human island from time to time where there are human children who won't leave them behind for being too slow. Even if Y/N is seen as a little weird, but oh well. A lot of kids are weird

Aaand that also goes into human culture and language. Again, Sun and Moon take Y/N to the small human island from time to time. Perhaps they have a deal with one of the humans to babysit essentially. Keep watch for them and keep Y/N taken care of. Hey, maybe it's Vanessa! Jdkghd yeah I like the proverbs struggle

I imagine they're pretty good with the island's human language. They had a small vocabulary with it already before meeting Sun and Moon, then they learned some from Vanessa, plus the other kids. Buuut they're not perfect with it, even in adulthood. They still have struggles, and maybe even don't know how to form certain sounds all too well. They sound like they have an accent, and don't know what to say when people ask what it is

I feel like boats would make Y/N feel a bit weird. Sun and Moon would always grab onto Y/N and flee whenever they saw one, maybe there had been a bad instance with someone in a boat hurting Sun or Moon at some point, and Y/N knows Sun and Moon take down large boats from time to time. So boats, especially large ones, might somewhat be associated with danger and the ability to be torn straight through. Perhaps they moved into a house by the shore and occasionally go out on a very small boat, since small boats had always seemed to be less of a source of fear and more so just caution

AWWWW THE THOUGHT OF Y/N TRYING TO COURT SOMEONE LIKE A MER WOULD IS ACTUALLY SOSO CUTE. I don't even know who this friend IS, and I'm obsessed

Oh sea slugs... you have got me there

[strawberrymilk-sunshine]

What if Yuu/(Y/N) was from another world? Not in the sense that they're from a parallel dimension to twst- but in the sense that they're straight-up from another planet. I think that'd be cool

I'm gonna do the reactions of the octatrio to alien!Yuu (because I have Octavinelle brainrot currently) but if you want me to do the reactions of the other dorms I can do that!

Not sure how good this is, but I hope you like it!

Azul Ashengrotto

Huh? How have you never heard of a contract?

It's a fairly common legal term, is it not?

And why are you so confused about the anemones?

Is there something wrong with you? Do you have amnesia?

Come to think of it, you don't exactly look... human...

No, you definitely aren't human. You clearly aren't a mermaid or beastman either.

Perhaps you're fae? Though it's very unlikely.

He just can't figure you out. Nothing about you makes sense. Your existence defies all logic.

"What are you?"

Azul doesn't seem very hostile, you see no reason in hiding yourself from him. So, you decide to tell him.

Believe me when I say he is surprised.

Another planet? That's impossible.

It... is impossible, right?

Idia's been talking about aliens recently. This must be a stupid prank, right?! (It is not)

Once Azul finally comprehends and accepts that you are in fact an alien, his business mind takes over.

"Say, (Y/N)... why don't you work for me for a small while...?"

If he had a real, live alien working for him in his establishment, then... ooh, the possibilities are endless!

You declined, but he'll get you to agree eventually!

Surely there's something you want.

And he'll find out what that is, eventually.

You didn't see him as dangerous before, and you still don't, but you definitely get the feeling you should be cautious around him. "Oh (Y/N)! I have an amazing deal for you! Huh? Where are you going? Wait up! I need to discuss the terms and conditions of this contract with you~!"

Jade Leech

He knows what you are, he knew you weren't of this world the moment he met you.

No human, mermaid, bestman, or fae has features such as yours.

And he's definitely seen you do some unnatural things.

You can lift approximately five times what someone of your weight should be able to, you secrete a toxic substance when nervous, certain parts of your body glow when it's dark...

You really are a wonder.

Jade finds you interesting, so interesting...

"Greetings, (Y/N). I know we don't talk much, but would you like to come with me to have tea with me? I promise you a pleasant experience."

You think of Jade as someone who is potentially very dangerous, so you hesitate to accept.

But after some "convincing", you decide to go along with him.

Well, he wasn't lying about the tea, which is good...

And then, well, he drops the bomb.

"I know what you are."

You begin looking around for any way out of this situation but then he laughs at you

"No need to be so scared. I find you fascinating, and I simply want to know more about you!"

You don't exactly believe that he's doing this 100% innocently, but you don't think he's outright lying.

So, you decide to stay a while longer and answer his questions.

He asks you about your anatomy, your home planet, your family, your strange features, your bioluminescence, that toxic substance you can make, your bone structure, your organs, why your species evolved the way it did...

Jade is very curious about you.

Almost to a suspicious degree. "Is that right? How fascinating. Please continue, (Y/N), I would love to know more about you! Hm? No, of course not! Never in my wildest dreams would I blackmail you with this information! I'm simply asking out of my own curiousity."

Floyd Leech

"I'll be honest with you... I have no idea what a shrimp is, Floyd."

He is just baffled when you admit that.

How have you never heard of a shrimp?

Much like Azul, Floyd just assumes there's something wrong with you at first. Either that, or you've lived a life so sheltered you've somehow never heard of a shrimp.

Whatever the reason, the fact that you don't know what a shrimp is keeps him awake that night.

As he's thinking about that interaction, laying in bed, eating his snacks, he recalls the time you first saw his mer form.

Didn't you whisper something to Crabby? Something like "What's a moray...?"

Huh. That's a weird coincidence.

And... when Azul overblotted and reverted into his mer form, you also seemed super confused and freaked out...

And when you saw all the fish and coral in the Mostro Lounge fish tank you looked like you'd never seen anything like it before...

Those are some weirdly coincidental coincidences.

And, you're body's pretty weird too... you don't look like a human. You've got horns and weird looking legs, not to mention the fact that you glow in the dark like he does in his mer form... you're really weird.

But it's probably nothing.

After laying in bed for another hour or so, the realization hits him all at once.

He runs to Ramshackle dorm as fast as he possibly can, still in his pajamas, and pounds on your door until it opens.

"SHRIMPY, YOU'RE AN ALIEN?!"

You're still half-asleep, and not sure why this six-foot-tall merman was yelling at you.

Floyd barges inside, and sits down on the couch, insisting you tell him everything about you.

Again, you're half-asleep, and would much rather not be in this siituation.

"Aha~! Us merfolk don't exactly have any stories of life on other planets, so this is pretty exciting!"

He thinks you're super cool!

He also wants you to know about him, since you probably don't have anything like him back home! He'll tell you all about his funky eel biology!

Unfortunately for him, however, that just made you feel more scared of him. In your mind, nothing that has poisonous blood and two sets of teeth is harmless.

You politely ask him to leave.

It does not work.

"Y'know, now that I know what you are, I don't really thnk 'Little Shrimpy' suits you too well, ehe... howsabout Magnapinna?"

You try pushing him out the door to no avail.

"I've never seen a magnapinna myself, since they live suuuuuuper deep down in the ocean, but apparently they look a lot like aliens! Suits you, doesn't it~?"

You can't get him to leave.

Like his brother, Floyd finds you very interesting. He thinks you're really cool, and weird, and interesting, and- you get the idea.

And he bets you think he's really cool and weird and interesting too! You know, if you've never seen something like him, you're probably amazed at him, right?

Oh, you don't find him cool?

You find him terrifying?

That's fine! That just means he can have tons of fun scaring you! "Hah? What's wrong, Magnapinna? Ya scaaaaaaared of me~? Ehehe... that's fine, that's fine... I'm not gonna eeeeat you or anything, so there's nothing to be scared of! You know... unless I decide one day that you're kinda tasty-looking, ehe! Anyways, why don't you tell me more about yourself? I wanna know more about you!"

[witch-undercover-agency]

Origin: Greek Mythology

Symbol: The Ram

Quality: Cardinal

Element: Fire

Colour: Red, Blood Red, Midnight Black, Armor Silver

Metal: Iron, Steel, Bronze, Brass, Copper, Silver, Gold, Lead, Mercury

Crystal: Bloodstone, Red Jasper, Carnelian, Red Agate, Hematite, Black Obsidian, Pyrite, Garnet, Ruby, Red Tiger's Eye, Red Calcite, Mahogany Obsidian, Red Aventurine, Fire Agate

Fruits: Cherries, pomegranates, strawberries, raspberries, red apples, watermelon, passionfruit, dragonfruit, cranberries, guava, tomato, fig, plum, apricot, red currants, currants

Vegetables: Red bell peppers, chili peppers, beets, radishes, tomatoes, carrots, red cabbage, red onions, red potatoes, red kale, red Swiss chard, red lettuce, red spinach, red mustard greens, red beans

Flower: Tulip, poppy, red rose, hollyhock, anemone, amaryllis, geranium, carnation, sweet pea, marigold, hibiscus, dahlia, daisy, gladiolus, ranunculus, red camellia

Herb: Basil, cayenne pepper, ginger, garlic, nettle, thistle, coriander, lemongrass, mustard, pink peppercorn, wormwood, vervain, calendula, rue, dragon's blood resin

Animal: Ram, wolf, hawk, eagle, shark, badger, lynx, vulture, crocodile, warthog, scorpion, bull, cobra, panther, hyena

Number: 1

Day: Tuesday

Season: Spring

Time of day: Sunrise

Anatomy: Head, face, eyes, muscles

Key word: Courage

Key phrase: "I am a warrior of the spirit."

Moon phase: Full Moon

Musical note: D

Tarot: The Emperor

Tool: Spear

Spell type: Protection

Offerings:Red wine or blood-red wine to symbolize vitality and bravery.

Freshly sharpened weapons or replicas as a symbol of warfare.

Spicy foods, as Ares was associated with the heat of battle.

Olive oil, a symbol of peace and victory.

Red roses or other red flowers to represent passion and strength.

Frankincense incense to purify and honor the deity.

Ares figurines or statues for his representation.

Honey, as it was believed to be an offering to appease the gods.

Pomegranates, a symbol of fertility and life force.

Bay leaves, which were associated with victory in ancient Greece.

Offerings of meat, such as lamb or goat, to represent strength.

Myrrh resin, often used in ancient rituals and associated with deities.

Red candles to invoke the fiery aspect of Ares.

A spearhead or other warrior-related artifacts.

A prayer or poem expressing your admiration and respect for Ares.

Signs:A sudden surge of courage or confidence when facing challenges.

Dreams or visions of battle or warlike scenes.

Finding or receiving gifts related to warfare, such as a weapon or armor.

Seeing red objects or colors more frequently, as red is often associated with Ares.

Feeling a strong connection to historical or mythological warriors and heroes.

Increased interest in martial arts, combat sports, or military history.

Hearing or encountering stories, songs, or poems related to war and valor.

A feeling of inner strength and determination during tough times.

Noticing signs of conflict resolution or justice happening around you.

Repeated encounters with symbols of Ares, such as his name or imagery.

Birds of prey, like hawks or eagles, appearing more frequently in your vicinity.

Feeling a call to stand up for a just cause or protect those in need.

A strong desire to learn about ancient Greek culture and mythology.

A sense of honor and duty becoming more prominent in your life.

Meeting individuals who share a similar interest in Ares or warrior-like qualities.

[problemswithbooks]

Shark Genitals & World Building

So, I've seen this Q&A a few times now and it really got me thinking about Fish-man biology.

Now, to be clear, I think it's pretty clear Oda isn't being entirely serious. When you look at how he designs his characters he goes for whatever is fun. He's not doing extensive research on whatever aquatic species he slaps on his fish-men or Merfolk characters. This is why for a lot of them, if you look up what they are mixed with they rarely share much if anything with the animal he's picked.

Saying a character has two dicks is funny, so Hody has two dicks--that's all.

But taking the answer more seriously the idea that at least some (because they do vary so widely from fish-person to fish-person) have changed genitals because of their added fish anatomy is interesting from a world-building perspective.

As someone who has a special interest in animal biology and has watched a lot of documentaries I can say that fish have really diverse breeding strategies. So, I guess, if Hody can have two dicks because he's a shark, I wonder if this could be true for any other fish-people and merfolk.

We see that at least some fish-people do have children the same way regular humans do, but to my knowledge we don't see any pregnant mermaids. Given how much larger Neptune is then his wife, and how massive Shirahoshi is, I think it makes sense that perhaps like many fish, Otohime laid eggs that were fertilized separately (this is actually how goldfish mate).

It could be possible that the way mermaids or even fish-women have children depends on the father. If they are not compatible in size they can reproduce Ovuliparity (the way I imagine Otohime did), or if they are of similar size they either go the more human route or, after copulation they lay fertilized eggs (like the skate cases often called mermaid purses you find washed up on the beach).

There's also something to be said for the variations fish have with gender. Some fish are capable of changing gender. It's more common that female fish become male (protandry), usually the largest of a group replacing the dominate male in the group. This happens mostly with coral reef fish like wrasses, groupers and parrot-fish.

Meanwhile, anemone fish, like clown fish change from male to female. When the one female dies the remaining male will become female, while an outside male will become that new female's mate.

Then there are Black Helmet fish which are both simultaneously and take turns releasing eggs and sperm when they spawn.

So, if fish-people and merfolk had similarly diverse genders and ways of reproducing I think that'd just be really neat. It could also lead to some fun misunderstandings between fish-people, merfolk and humans.

Of course, I don't think Oda ever put that much thought into it. He just does whatever he finds fun character design wise. I mean, it's not like Arlong has barrels like Sawsharks do, and Jinbe looks nothing like a whale shark. On top of that the story isn't really focused on that type of world building. Nor do I think he could really showcase something that deals so much with sex--even if it is fish sex.

Still, makes for some really great head-canons.

[occasionaltouhou]

What do you think happens to the food that the fairies eat? Because it's stated that while they do eat occasionally out of curiosity and pleasure they don't need to. Personally I think that they lack a full set of digestive organs since they get their energy from nature, and because of this anything they eat has to be vomited out, like sea anemones. Most fairies would regret eating, but I imagine that Clownpiece would find it fun. Some of them would use this for really gross pranks.

look. you're overthinking the internal anatomy of non-humans. they're not bound by conservation of mass or anything. it goes inside, and because when something goes inside the mouth of [a creature that resembles a living being] it is eaten, it enters a state of having been eaten. it just goes away

like. when a youkai eats a person, they don't actually, like, digest that person, because they don't really have guts in the way that living things do. the person just sort of stops existing. likewise, when a kami/fairy (same difference) eats an offering or the like, it just, like, goes away, because it's been eaten

[thecreaturecodex]

Agbako

Image © @chimeride , accessed at their tumblr here

[Agbako literally means “calamity” in Yoruba, and there’s a popular Nigerian actor who’s taken it as a stage name [he mostly plays villains, but of course]. So there’s some Google camouflage. Agbako appears in The Forest of A Thousand Daemons, the first Yoruba language novel, written by D. O. Fágúnwà. The novel brings in motifs and characters from folklore, but is decidedly literary (and Yoruba sources aren’t common in English), making it a bit unclear if Agbako was an existing entity in Nigerian myth or was created for the book. Or if the idea of personifying Calamity existed, but the bizarre appearance and abilities are original to the novel. I hadn’t read Forest of A Thousand Spirits when I asked @chimeride to do the art, so when I saw a description of him with multiple clubs and swords, I assumed that meant a large number of limbs. But he wields two clubs in one hand and three swords in the other! That’s a wild special ability, and I need to give it to some monster some time.]

Agbako

CR 16 CE Aberration

This creature is vaguely humanoid but clearly not. It has two legs covered in projections like the fronds of a palm leaf, and four arms. Its head is a stubby cone, with 16 eyes at its base, arranged in a circular fashion. Its skin appears to be warty and slick, with short tendrils growing from it like thick, animate hair. It wears chainmail and a helmet, and carries a weapon in each hand.

An agbako is a being of calamity. They exist solely to make life worse for other sapient creatures, and especially delight in escalating situations. An agbako will rarely attack straight away, instead preferring to spy on a party and watch them struggle against either other creatures or the elements. Once the mortals are worn down and exhausted, the agbako strikes.

An agbako’s mere presence causes luck to disappear, and they are powerful melee combatants. Indeed, an agbako’s favorite place is in the thick of melee, surrounded so it can fight multiple enemies at once. If they want to kill a foe, they use their weapons, but if they want to drag things out rely on their natural attacks to grapple enemies. Creatures they grab are pulled close to the stinging tendrils that grow along its body—these stings contain a numbing venom. Agbakos are incredibly cocky, and might pause a single combat in order to have a drink, or even to heal an enemy in order to keep the fight going. Only if actually challenged will they rely on their breath weapon, a cone of searing hot sparks.

The anatomy and physiology of an agbako is bizarre, and perhaps closest to sea creatures such as anemones or sea cucumbers.  Although they have vital organs, these appear to migrate through the body. Their heads show radial symmetry, and their legs are more like strengthened tentacles than actual jointed appendages. They can soften or harden their skins at will, to the point where their hide can break metal weapons. And they reproduce by budding. An agbako will grow a handful of juveniles throughout its lifetime, which grow on their backs nestled in tentacles, and then abscise off and live separately following a gestation of several years.

Agbako               CR 16

XP 76,800

CE Large aberration (shapechanger)

Init +8; Senses all-around vision, aura sight 60 ft., darkvision 60 ft., Perception +25

Aura calamitous (30 ft.)

Defense

AC 31, touch 13, flat-footed 27 (-1 size, +4 Dex, +6 armor, +12 natural)

hp 252 (24d8+144)

Fort +14, Ref +14, Will +20

Immune blindness, confusion and insanity effects

Defensive Abilities fortification (50%), mirror magic, shatter weapons

Offense

Speed 40 ft.

Melee +1 scimitar +26/+21/+16/+11 (1d8+8/15-20), +1 scimitar +26 (1d8+4/15-20), 2 +1 heavy maces +26 (2d6+4) or 4 slams +25 (1d8+7 plus grab)

Space 10 ft.; Reach 10 ft.

Special Attacks breath weapon (30 ft. cone, Reflex DC 28, 16d6 fire plus blindness, 1d4 rounds), infuse weapons, rake (sting +26, 3d4+7 plus poison)

Spell-like Abilities CL 16th, concentration +21 (+25 casting defensively)

At will—bestow curse (DC 21), fear (DC 21)

3/day—cure critical wounds (DC 19), make whole, restoration

1/day—greater teleport, phase door, regenerate

Statistics

Str 25, Dex 19, Con 22, Int 15, Wis 22, Cha 20

Base Atk +18; CMB +26 (+30 grappling); CMD 40

Feats Acrobatic Steps, Alertness, Combat Casting, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Exhausting Critical, Fatiguing Critical, Improved Critical (scimitar), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Nimble Moves, Power Attack, Quicken SLA (cure critical wounds)

Skills Acrobatics +19 (+21 when jumping), Climb +20, Intimidate +23, Knowledge (arcana, local) +14, Knowledge (nature) +17, Perception +29, Sense Motive +22, Spellcraft +17, Stealth +15, Survival +21, Swim +20; Racial Modifiers +4 Perception

Languages Aklo, Common, Sylvan

SQ change shape (any animal, beast shape III), superior multiweapon fighting

Ecology

Environment warm forests

Organization solitary

Treasure standard (mithril chainmail, two masterwork scimitars, two masterwork heavy maces)

Special Abilities

Aura Sight (Su) An agbako can see the alignment, emotion, health or magic auras of all creatures within 30 feet, as if under the effects of an analyze aura spell. It may change what type of aura it can see as a swift action.

Breath Weapon (Su) A creature that fails its save against an agbako’s breath weapon must succeed a DC 28 Fortitude save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. The save DC is Charisma based.

Calamitous Aura (Su) Luck effects do not function within 30 feet of an agbako. Spells and effects with the curse and fear descriptor cast in the aura gain a +2 bonus to their DC. These bonuses are included in the spell save DC above.

Infuse Weapons (Su) Any weapon an agbako wields gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls. It also counts as a cold iron and silver weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Mirror Magic (Su) If an agbako fails its saving throw against a spell or spell-like ability, and the caster is within the agbako’s calamitous aura, the caster is also affected by that spell. The caster can still attempt a saving throw, as appropriate, based on their own spell save DC.

Poison (Ex) Sting—injury; save Fort DC 28; frequency 1/round for 4 rounds; effect 1d4 Str damage; cure 1 save. The save DC is Constitution based.

Shatter Weapon (Ex) Whenever a weapon strikes an agbako, the weapon takes 3d6 points of damage. Apply hardness normally. Weapons that take any amount of damage above their hardness are treated as having the broken condition.

[kaeyx]

I want Krankenlovecraft to eat me out..

ME TOO.... you have to explain to him what that means, he might try to swallow you whole before realising it's not what you were thinking of. A little awkward, but he's very eager to learn! Fascinated by the sight between your legs just as much as the rest of you, prodding at it a little too forcefully until you tell him to be very gentle with it. You're so small, and there's so many different things there, and a tiny hole too! You'll have to give him a quick anatomy lesson I'm afraid.

But once his curiosity is mostly sated you can actually get on with what you've wanted all along. Telling him where he's supposed to touch, rub, flick, how gentle he has to be, how fast or slow.... he's pleasantly cool, slippery and rubbery. Would happily try to eat you out with a human-like tongue, but doesn't need much prodding to change to something more natural for him, more.... interesting. A thick tentacle too big for his human mouth, maybe forked, covered in thick, black saliva. Or a ball of wriggling tendrils like an anemone. Or a tentacle with a sucker that goes right over your clit and toys with it for ages; Lovecraft is fascinated by that hard little bump in the middle of all those soft folds. With anatomy like that you can basically decide what you want him to fuck you with, how you want it to feel and how he gets to toy with you. He's a fast learner, too!! And finds it so entertaining when you quiver and twitch and moan, letting out all those sweet noises that he loves. He'd happily do this every day for as long as you let him, licking and sucking, fingering you so he gets to taste your wetness. And he just keeps going until you push him away!

[flawseer]

Jade Mountain Academy students

#4 - Sandwing chapter

Astute viewers may be tempted to point out that this rendering of Qibli is wearing his earring in the wrong ear. This is an intentional nod to the graphic novel depiction, which does something interesting with that entire thing. He starts wearing the earring in his right ear, but then it gets torn out during the fight with Icicle. In the next issue, that ear is scarred and he starts wearing it in his left ear instead. It's possible this also happens in the books, it's admittedly been a while since I read them front-to-back, so my memory on that is fuzzy. But I always thought that was a cool detail. And since Icicle is still present here, these pictures must have been... uh... "taken" before she absconded. Hence the earring in the right ear.

Also, with 20 out of 36 students done, this now puts us across the halfway mark.

Qibli

Tribe - Sandwing

Winglet - Jade

Color - Corn yellow

Relatives - none on site

Clawmate(s) - Winter (Icewing)

Favorite subject - Science

Least fav. subject - Literacy

Physical characteristics - small jagged scar horizontally across snout; freckles; small, wiry frame, with little body fat

Other characteristics - appears socially confident and outgoing, respected among Sandwing peers; "colorful" vocabulary (monitor spreading); least legible handwriting

Onyx

Tribe - Sandwing

Winglet - Gold

Color - Hazel

Relatives - none on site

Clawmate(s) - Tamarin (Rainwing)

Favorite subject - Anatomy

Least fav. subject - Cultural Exchange

Physical characteristics - thorny black stripe pattern across neck scales; skin studded with rows of black diamonds; stature is large and muscular

Other characteristics - Claims to be fugitive from Sand Kingdom; currently oldest student on site (no issues so far, but continue to monitor social integration)

Ostrich

Tribe - Sandwing

Winglet - Silver

Color - Cream

Relatives - none on site

Clawmate(s) - Anemone (Seawing)

Favorite subject - Art

Least fav. subject - Exercise

Physical characteristics - underdeveloped tail barb; very small stature with little body fat; currently smallest size of all students (measured from nose to tail tip)

Other characteristics - musically inclined; mildly allergic to cow milk; "colorful" vocabulary (monitor spreading)

Pronghorn

Tribe - Sandwing

Winglet - Copper

Color - Mustard yellow

Relatives - none on site

Clawmate(s) - Peregrine (Skywing)

Favorite subject - Cultural Exchange

Least fav. subject - History

Physical characteristics - horns are split; pronounced and heavy-set jaw; stature is large and broad

Other characteristics - socially well-adjusted, courteous; very energetic

Arid

Tribe - Sandwing

Winglet - Quartz

Color - Salmon orange

Relatives - none on site

Clawmate(s) - Siamang (Rainwing), Garnet (Skywing)

Favorite subject - Art

Least fav. subject - Science

Physical characteristics - snout is slightly crooked (likely from a prior fracture); criss-crossing scar across right cheek; metal band affixed to nasal barb

Other characteristics - musically inclined; sometimes struggles enunciating specific sounds; tires during extended speaking (keep in mind during classes)

[muku-gc]

HEAR ME OUT-

Throuout the show, while never clearly stated, we see multiple diferent races of Akiridion with diferent sizes, anatomy, colors and all that

So

I got possesed and decided to draw all of them side by side for height comparasion and yes i chouse to leave loth out, fuck him <3

I plan to do more funny little worldbuilding and go into tdetail on every race depicted here- and who knows, maybe some day I'll ad my own custom Akiridion race

(Lesser royals as well as Anemone, an example of a lesser Royal is owned by @helis97)

[alphynix]

Cnidarians – a group of animals that includes modern corals, sea anemones, sea pens, jellyfish, hydra, and a couple of parasitic forms – are one of the most ancient animal lineages, originating at least 580 million years ago in the Ediacaran period.

Actual identifiable fossils of cnidarians that old are incredibly rare, however, and until now there was only one example – the small polyp-like Haootia from Canada.

But a second definite Ediacaran cnidarian has now been described: Auroralumina attenboroughii.

It was discovered in Charnwood Forest, England, in the very same site where the first recognized Precambrian fossils were found in the 1950s. About 20cm tall (~8") it dates to around 560 million years ago and was made up of a pair of forking stiff-walled tubes which expanded into wide four-sided goblet-like shapes full of stubby tentacles. These densely-tentacled crowns would have been used to capture tiny planktonic organisms from the water around it, making it the current earliest known example of a predatory animal.

The one known fossil specimen has an incomplete base, so it's uncertain if this was actually the full life appearance of Auroralumina or if it was even larger with more branches and goblets. And although it was preserved in deep-water sediments, it appears to have originated from much shallower waters, being swept down into the depths during a volcanic eruption.

While it superficially resembled a sea anemone, details of its anatomy suggest it was actually much closer related to medusozoans, having similar traits to the immobile polyp stage of the jellyfish life cycle. Its four-way symmetry and boxy shape may also link it to the enigmatic conulariids.

It's not clear if it was able to bud off swimming medusa stages like its modern relatives – that might be an evolutionary innovation that came along later – but it at least shows that a basic medusozoan body plan was already in place around 20 million years earlier than previously thought.

———

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[abodywithorgans]

enemy anemone anatomy, a guide through enmity and anomie to atrophy (7th ed.)