#spiny tail eel

[deathfeigning]

worminator ♡

[paintedkinzy-88]

Last little wip for now.

If you know me at all, you know this was inevitable. Join a new fandom = I'm making the characters dragons.

It's the law. My law. For myself.

Uhh rambling info below I guess, because I really wanna talk about them and their design choices. I honestly don't have much planned story-wise for this, I just really like the designs lmfao.

Starting with Mikey: he's the fastest, most nimble flyer of the crew. He can fold into a little ball or tuck in to be a speeding air-torpedo. His long ass tail is representative to his chains, and obviously he has to breath fire, it's a given. He's tiny, but he's not weak by any means! And damn can those wings give the best hugs.

Leon is mostly based on traditional serpents, with smooth scales and fins for quick movement underwater. His tail is thick and flat, so he's a quick swimmer, which kind of makes up for the fact he cannot fly. I gave him long horns like his bandana tails, and his snoot is based on a slider turtle.

Donnie's also serpent-like, but the inspiration was both the typical spiny softshell, and an eel. He also has smooth scales and a flat tail, but he has no fins along his back like Leon does. He's slightly bigger, and has a much stronger bite than his younger siblings. To pay homage to his softshell, Donnie's the only one without a plated underbelly.

He also builds a battleshell, but this time with wings. Man will not be limited to just land and sea.

Raph is the biggest and bulkiest. He's not the fastest flyer, and can't really go too high, but his speed is on par with Leo's swimming so he's not terribly slow. His scales are much more prominent, especially along his back and spine, and his strength is definitely unparalleled. Those jaws can break boulders, if he really wanted to... Still a gentle giant, though. Hard to see here, but his tail ends in a spiked ball :D

ANYWHO, what are they? Where's April and Splinter and the Caseys? How do they play into all of this?? What's a setting? What's plot?? Who needs lore??? All I see are pretty dragons to draw (and one, singular potential angst storyline but that's fineee).

[sleepyfan-blog]

I VERY DESPERATELY NEED/Want Baby Primarch Mers. So Badly. PLEASE!

Ok! I"ll go down the list

1 - Lion - So, the temptation to make him part lionfish is incredible here. There's also the fact that IRL Lionfish are a huge problem in certain parts of the world because they are an invasive species in those areas, as well as incredibly deadly because of their poisonous spines. And considering how deadly Lion and his sons can be... Yeah, I think he's part lionfish. Specifically he has a deep green tail with silver stripes. His spines are black and gold and hold incredibly potent poisons.

2- ??? [REDACTED BY THE ORDER OF THE EMPEROR]]

3- Fulgrim - He is part Coral Beauty Angelfish, and has a beautiful purple tail that fades into a vibrant yellow color. Coral beauties (at least according to the quick google search I did about them) are an incredibly hardy salt water fish, and known for their vibrant colorations.

4 - Perturabo - is part Cabezon - which are known for being Stubborn Bastard Fish who Refuse To Move until they get their next meal, willing to wait days and even weeks before they get their next meal. Which is often other fish, which I feel fits Peter turbo pretty well. He has a pleated tail and fins that are a mottled steel and black color, with the occasional yellow stripe.

5 - Jaghatai - is part Sailfish - which are allegedly one of the fastest fish in the world IRL. He has a bright white tail with red stripes. His fins are also white with red stripes.

6 - Leman - is part Piranha. Not only are Piranhas highly predatory, they also are species of fish that school together. Like how Space Wolves almost always stick together in packs. Also, he still has fangs in this AU. His tail and fins are a lovely slate grey color with an iridescent shine to them.

7 - Rogal - part greenland shark! Cold adapted predator of the sea. Doesn't look like much but is an apex predator in the seas it lives in. He has gorgeous golden fins and tails with black spots.

8 - Konrad - part goblin shark. I didn't pick it just because of the name, but because it is a deep water shark (lives in darkness, just like a certain edgy primarch) that is rarely seen by humans. And. Well. Most humans who saw Konrad didn't exactly live to tell about it, did they? He has a deep blue tail and fins that are surprisingly slender. But powerful and he has a hell of a bite and many, many pointy teeth.

9 - Sanguinius - He has a beautiful silver tail and fin-like wings, as his mer-half is flying fish! Although I was super tempted to make him part-lamprey because of the blood-sucking aspect of him.

10 -  Ferrus - as per the suggestions of @angronsjewelbeetle @c-u-c-koo-4-40k and @i-am-a-dragon34 Ferrus is now part Dunkleostous, with dark grey fins and tail on his dorsal side and a silvery ventral side.

11 - ?? [REDACTED BY THE ORDER OF THE EMPEROR]

12 - Angron - part betta fish. He has striking red and gold fins and tail and will square the fuck up if the mood strikes.

13 - Roboute - there is a big temptation to go for the Ultramarlin pun, but I won't give in. What I am going with is part Ribbon Eel, as they have this really lovely blue body with bright yellow dorsal and ventral stripes that go all the way down their bodies. That and G-Man having a long tail to thwap his brothers with makes me giggle.

14 - Mortarion - part pufferfish. Prickly, defensive and poisonous. Can and will puff up. Has grey fins and tail with dark green spots. Spiny.

15 - Magnus: I am torn between making him part carp - because of the Japanese (I think?) myth about a carp jumping up a waterfall in order to become a dragon - which hints at Magnus' incredibly powerful warp abilities or an Abtu, which is a mythical ancient Egyptian fish, because Space Egypt. Thoughts? Opinions?

16 - Horus: Is part dolphin. Known for being very charismatic and charming, but can and will bully other kinds of sea life. Baby-Horus has a deep green tail with gold markings.

17 - Lorgar - I love the Parrot Fish pun suggestion by @c-u-c-koo-4-40k so that is what I am going with. His fins and tail are a deep red color with a silver shimmer to them.

18 - Vulcan - another excellent suggestion by @c-u-c-koo-4-40k for making one of the primarchs part barracuda! I have decided on Vulcan, rather than Magnus. Vulcan’s dorsal fins and tail are a deep green color, the ventral side is black. Along the middle where the two colors meet, he had gold spots.

19 - Corvus: Part of me wants to make Corvus either some kind of shark, or angler fish bc of his whole "sworn vengeance and eternally hunting after Lorgar post-heresy" thing but. Big E is also a being who loves himself some aesthetics and I don't think a part-angler fish boy would fit that. Perhaps part black-tipped shark bc of their stealthiness. Thoughts?

20 - Alpharius and Omegon: are color-pallet changed blue-ring octopi. Instead of a yellow body with bright blue rings, they have vibrant teal tentacles with bright silver ring-patterns across their tentacles and up the fishy parts of their bodies.

@egrets-not-regrets @the-pure-angel

[warriors-rewritten-chaos]

Warrior Cats Prefixes- L

I had a WC Name Generator on Perchance that I made but I don't seem to have access anymore, so I'm remaking it here as just a simple list. The definitions used are the ones that Clan cats have for those things, and thus are the origins of the names. Definitions used are whatever I found when I googled it.

Laburnum-: "[noun] a small European tree that has hanging clusters of yellow flowers succeeded by slender pods containing poisonous seeds"

Lagoon-: "[noun] a small freshwater lake near a larger lake or river"

Lake-: "[noun] a large body of water surrounded by land"

Lamb-: "[noun] a young sheep"

Lamprey-: "[noun] an eel-like aquatic jawless vertebrate that has a sucker mouth with horny teeth and a rasping tongue"

Lapis-: "[noun] a deep-blue metamorphic rock used as a semi-precious stone"

Larch-: "[noun] a deciduous conifer tree native to the cooler regions of the northern hemisphere, where they are found in lowland forests in the high latitudes, and high in mountains further south"

Lark-: "[noun] a small ground-dwelling songbird, typically with brown streaky plumage, a crest, and elongated hind claws, and with a song that is delivered in flight"

Larkspur-: "[noun] an annual Mediterranean plant of the buttercup family, which bears spikes of spurred flowers"

Laurel-: "[noun] any of a number of shrubs and other plants with dark green glossy leaves; [noun] an aromatic evergreen shrub related to the bay tree, several kinds of which form forests in tropical and warm countries"

Lavender-: "[noun] a member of the genus of 47 known species of perennial flowering plants in the mints family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World, primarily found across the drier, warmer regions of mainland Eurasia"

Leaf-: "[noun] a flattened structure of a higher plant, typically green and blade-like, that is attached to a stem directly or via a stalk"

Leech-: "[noun] an aquatic or terrestrial annelid worm with suckers at both ends"

Leopard-: "[noun] a large, solitary cat that has a yellowish-brown or brown coat with black spots and usually hunts at night"

Lichen-: "[noun] a plantlike organism that typically forms a low crusty, leaflike, or branching growth on rocks, walls, and trees"

Light-: "[noun] the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible; [adj] (of a color) pale"

Lightning-: "[noun] the occurrence of a natural electrical discharge of very short duration and high voltage between a cloud and the ground or within a cloud, accompanied by a bright flash and typically also thunder"

Lilac-: "[noun] a Eurasian shrub or small tree of the olive family, that has fragrant violet, pink, or white blossoms; [noun] a pale pinkish-violet color; [adjective] of a pale pinkish-violet color"

Lily-: "[noun] a bulbous plant with large trumpet-shaped, typically fragrant, flowers on a tall, slender stem"

Linden-: "[noun] a deciduous tree with heart-shaped leaves and fragrant yellowish blossoms, native to north temperate regions"

Linnet-: "[noun] a mainly brown and gray finch with a reddish breast and forehead"

Lion-: "[noun] a large tawny-colored cat that lives in prides, found in Africa and northwestern India. The male has a flowing shaggy mane and takes little part in hunting, which is done cooperatively by the females"

Little-: "[adj] small in size, amount, or degree"

Lizard-: "[noun] a reptile that typically has a long body and tail, four legs, movable eyelids, and a rough, scaly, or spiny skin"

Loach-: "[noun] a small elongated bottom-dwelling freshwater fish with several barbels near the mouth"

Loam-: "[noun] a fertile soil of clay and sand containing humus"

Lobelia-: "[noun] a chiefly tropical or subtropical plant of the bellflower family"

Lobster-: "[noun] a large marine crustacean with a cylindrical body, stalked eyes, and the first of its five pairs of limbs modified as pincers"

Locust-: "[noun] a large and mainly tropical grasshopper with strong powers of flight. It is usually solitary, but from time to time there is a population explosion, and it migrates in vast swarms that cause extensive damage to crops"

Log-: "[noun] a part of the trunk or a large branch of a tree that has fallen or been cut off"

Long-: "[adj] measuring a great distance from end to end"

Loon-: "[noun] any of several large birds (genus Gavia of the family Gaviidae) of Holarctic regions that feed on fish by diving and have their legs placed far back under the body for optimal locomotion underwater"

Lost-: "[adj] unable to find one's way, not knowing one's whereabouts"

Lotus-: "[noun] any of a number of large water lilies"

Loud-: "[adj] producing or capable of producing much noise, easily audible"

Luck-: "[noun] success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions; [noun] chance considered as a force that causes good or bad things to happen; [noun] something regarded as bringing about or portending good or bad things"

Lucky-: "[adj] having, bringing, or resulting from good luck"

Lupine-: "[noun] a plant of the pea family with deeply divided leaves and tall colorful tapering spikes of flowers"

Lynx-: "[noun] a wild cat with yellowish-brown fur (sometimes spotted), a short tail, and tufted ears, found chiefly in the northern latitudes of North America and Eurasia"

[ratsoh-writes]

Stiletto, I choose youuuu!

I mean... Stilex...

Spile... SILEX!

"Oh. Then why did you tell me I was going to get in the wa- oooh. Yeah, you mentioned a boat"

Fey shakes hee head at you as you both enter the boat. It has a large folding flat deck for easier access from the sea

After driving out some ways, two royal hadal guards jump on, taking a collar. A small purple glow emits and you hear them gratefully take a breath of air.

The remaining two collars are tested for tampering as per protocol and they give the signal for the king and prince to enter

You have to gasp in shock at the sheer size of titanic. First of all, the goat monster is much more different looking from his land swelling royals. His fur is short and sleek, more like a seals, and his maw stretches wider with side teeth visible. His horns curl back and out as well, a better design for being faster in the water. And his tail is a beautifully intricate lion fish tail.

But that isn’t the most shocking part, what’s so impressive is his size. You had worried the boat was a bit big for this, but now you see it’s necessary. Titanic easily is double the size of fey. While most of the royals are between 7-8 feet, he’s easily 18 feet long. A hulk of a monster.

The next to follow him is another very large skeleton hadal with a green spiny eels tail. They both greet fey then take their collars to breathe easier for the duration of the meeting

[angelfoodcake222]

MerMay is HERE!!!

What would the Neighbors look like as merfolk? Well, after plenty of research (thank you Wiki, many fishing sites, & relatives irl), here's my take on that in alphabetical order.

🐶🐟Barnaby B. Beagle: Atlantic Spiny Dogfish. Okay, okay, this was an automatic choice just because of the name. Although, two venomous spines, can grow up to 4' (4 feet), often seen hunting prey in dog-like packs (hence the dog-like name), tends to feed primarily on crustaceans, jellyfish, squid, &/or schooling fish. Cod, red hake, goosefish, other spiny dogfish, larger sharks, seals, & killer whales all prey on dogfish. Dogfish also have a habit of getting caught in fishing nets due to their size, often resulting in bycatch (n. the unwanted fish and other marine creatures caught during commercial fishing for a different species). Now, clearly, Barnaby will be the same size as in his bio, same colors to as is the case with everyone else here.

✉️🐟Eddie Dear: Common (freshwater) Carp. These guys are all over the place where I go fishing/crabbing, make for good eating, too. What they do is root around soft sediment They usually feed on aquatic plants, worms, zooplankton, & other small animals found in the deposits. Their rooting upsets the water's bed & degrades their habitats by uprooting vegetation and increasing turbidity (cloudiness in the water due to particles). They're native to freshwater lakes & rivers in Eurasia. They were introduced to the United States in the late 1800s as a new sportfish. Now found in 48 U.S. states & most temperate areas around the globe. They typically prefer slow-moving systems with soft muddy/sandy bottoms. Found in most lakes & rivers in Louisiana. They sort of look like massive goldfish that evolved to be tougher for the wild. Somehow, they're often confused with native small/largemouth buffalo [fish]. Generally, they're a sort of golden brown/brassy green color that wanes to a pale yellow/white belly. The silvery variety can be found too, I've just caught the others. Subterminal mouths with two sets of barbels (AKA: "whiskers") off the upper corners of their mouths, large scales. Like most North American fish, they can grow +50 lbs but are more commonly found between 10-20 lbs.

🦋 🐟Frank Frankly: Florida Pompano. The Florida pompano, part of the jack family, is a species of marine fish with a compressed body, short snout & deeply forked tail. Pompano fish often have a color variation of blue, green & yellow on their dorsal areas with silver &/or yellow on their body & fins. I imagine he/they studies butterfly fish instead of actual butterflies. He'll still pop up to the surface to watch actual butterflies flutter around. Most adults of this breed feed on small surf clams, amphipods (I.e. sand-hoppers/beach-fleas, predaceous ghost shrimp, whale ectoparasites Cyamus, etc.), crabs, shrimp & even mussels. If he finds pearls or precious-looking items, he gives them to Eddie or Julie.

🐛🐟Howdy Pillar: Fimbriated Moray Eel. Get it? Because he's got freckles. Huh, huh? Anyways, these eels (aka Gymnothorax fimbriatus/ dark-spotted moray/spot-face moray), are a moray eel of the family Muraenidae, obviously. They're medium-sized moray that can reach a maximum length of 80 centimeters (31 in), though Howdy would be bigger (+8ft, maybe). Its serpentine-shaped body has a white-cream to light brown background color dotted with numerous dark spots which latter vary in size and shape depending on the individual & maturity. It has a tapered snout, is greenish-yellow with black dots, the corners of the mouth are white, & a very boop-worthy snout tip. He does the same things in his OG counterpart's way but with fish-based needs; worms, fallen crates of goods, fish filets from seemingly nonsentient fish, & so on. Wally is far more slippery, so plucking a chosen item is easier in Mer!form than bing bipedal. Howdy is an eel, so hunting isn't much of a challenge for him.

🌈🐠Julie Joyful: The Lybia Tessellata (commonly named "Pom-pom/Cheerleader/Boxer crab") comes from its symbiotic exercise of brandishing a stinging sea anemone (usually Triactis producta) in each of its claws to fend off predators & possibly to stun prey. Its "boxer crab" title comes from its bellicose reaction to threats. Something about this just fits...

🐔🐳Poppy Partridge: There are a lot of fish in the ocean, like birds in a tree. The chicken could be tuna (chicken of the sea), that much I know. Maybe a little parrot fish for color? Grouper for size? I can't find anything for her.

🌟🐠Sally Starlet: I'll be honest here, I was going to automatically pick a default starfish to go here, but then is kept digging. I'm stuck between a Lion Fish & a Manderinfish. Surprise, surprise, I can't pick. Maybe both with a touch of Flame Angel Fish for color?

😘🐟Wally Darling/Home: Yellowhead Jawfish (AKA; Opistognathus aurifrons) these little darlings [pun intended] are usually seen in undersized colonies around sandy &/or rubble-coated areas near reefs. Their lairs, smallish architectural phenomena, are created by excavating holes and lining them with rocks & shells for support - all done with their mouths. Obviously, Darling is half humanoid so he could use his hands here. Still, it's an interesting idea for him to be the one who builds Home. 🤔

These are just my thoughts on what they'd look like fish-wise. I'll need more time to pick & choose what other traits they'll each keep or lose. Feel free to use this as a sort of prompt or muse material 🤗!

[aquariuminfobureau]

The popular and stunning fire eel, Mastacembelus erythrotaenia, is a very large spiny eel from Southeast Asia, that is on record as growing to 100 centimeters, or 40 inches. In the aquarium and also in the wild, their growing 'only' to a length close to 65 centimeters should be expected, however the species is still on record as the largest known spiny eel, although the M. armatus complex is suggested to sometimes reach similar lengths of about 'three foot'.

M. erythrotaenia is a fish associated with riverine environments, although it avoids fast flowing water, and it is also encountered in inundated, lowland floodplains. In these freshwater habitats, it shares the typical spiny eel habit of burying into mud, by horizontal movements of their sinuous physiques. When they are buried, spiny eels often allow their snout and tail tips to protrude upwards.

Other than its great size, M. erythrotaenia is, in fact, quite a typical spiny eel, and within that clade, it is difficult to misidentify as any other species. This is fortunate because confusion generally surrounds the identities and nomenclature of Asian spiny eels. M. erythrotaenia is a widespread, tropical species, found in a wide swathe from Indochina, down through peninsular Malaya, and into western Indonesia. The fire eel is apparently absent from northern Indochina, including the more northern regions in Thailand and Vietnam.

I grew up with aquarium books telling us that spiny eels are aggressive, difficult to feed, and too large for home aquaria. Thankfully this is all exaggeration, and partially based on confusing the clade with some other teleosts that are called 'eels'. Which, incidentally, do not form a natural group of fishes, so that only members of the unrelated anguilliform clade are truly eels, and the spiny eels are much more closely related to the gouramis and snakeheads. The similarities of form and function, that are seen in both anguilliform and spiny eels, result from convergent evolution.

Spiny eels or mastacembelids, are their own clade of fishes, closely related to the synbranchids or swamp eels, with which they share their eel-like morphology and digging habits. Though they will consume very small fishes, and especially fry, Mastacembelus sp. are essentially predators of other benthic organisms, such as aquatic insects and annelids. This species does not seem to consume vegetable material habitually.

These are sought using olfaction, for which purpose the spiny eels possess tubulated nostrils, a visually remarkable synapomorphy, that marks them apart from other fishes of an otherwise similar, eel-type form. Although they are sometimes described as bearing a proboscis, the facial appendage of spiny eels does not qualify, because it is not an organ used to hold and manipulate food, as are the true probosces or trunks of tapirs and elephants.

However, it is a flexible tentacle, supported by an elastic cartilage which even has a synovial articulation with the bony facial skeleton, where the associated musculature attaches. In this sense it really is comparable to mobile mammalian snouts. Spiny eels are adept foragers, equipped with a good sense of smell and a usefully sensitive tentacle tip, that they use to explore their surroundings.

Other traits of spiny eels include their dorsal spines, which are in fact specialized fin rays. When they feel themselves threatened by a larger predator, spiny eels position their bodies so that their spines form a sharp, defensive saw edge. Fearful spiny eels can wound the hand of a careless human handler, damage the aquarium nets used to catch them, and sometimes even puncture the plastic bags used to transport them. Therefore any nets employed should be deep and soft, and double bagging should be used when transporting these prickly fish.

Spiny eels are primitively capable of breathing atmospheric air, which explains why some species are present in difficult environments. They differ in their craniofacial appearances, but only as variants of the basic, stable spiny eel theme, such as the extents of the rostral organ and of the jaw musculature, which relate to finding and dealing with food.

Naturally the substrate provided for spiny eel species, should be soft, to facilitate their natural digging behaviors, although at achieving larger sizes, this species seems to burrow less. Large decor should be provided to create shelter for these fish, especially during the daylight hours. Heavy items must be placed in the aquarium before the addition of substrate, lest the digging of the tank inhabitants lead to an accident. Sharp substrates must be avoided

Leaves and wood are appropriate decor, per the wild biotopes that are known to be frequented by M. erythrotaenia. Although they are not herbivorous, their digging behaviour is likely to uproot any plants that are rooted into the substrate. Floaters and underwater epiphytes should however be fine, but mighty spiny eels are not ideal denizens, for most kinds of richly planted aquascapes.

The lighting should be low, or diffused by floating plants,and any lid tightly fitting, lest the 'eels' escape. The often repeated statement that this species prefers a pH value between 6 to 8, is consistent with the presence of the species, in localities such as the Chao Phraya and the Mekong. Some records confirm it's ability to tolerate waters with a pH as low as 4.6, and a temperature as high as 30 degrees centigrade

Some sources suggest that the pH becomes suboptimal for this species, when it is elevated above 7.5, abd that the water temperature should be 27 to 29 degrees centigrade. But I am aware that at some wild localities where M. erythrotaenia is present, and seems to be flourishing, the pH is as high as 7.7 or 7.8, anf the temperature there is 25 to 27 degrees centigrade.

Because M. erythrotaenia can be territorial among themselves, it is often stated that they should not be kept together, but from experience, more than one adult of this species may safely cohabit, and they will even share a hiding place together. Like other spiny eels, this species is fine with unaggressive fish that will not fit into its mouth. They mix well with big, schooling cyprinoid species from their area of origin, including tinfoil barbs and clown loaches

Feeding M. erythrotaenia is actually straightforward, using defrosted foods of meaty composition. When chopped to am appropriate size, seafood from the fishmongers can also be used to provide for these slow benthic carnivores. Also fire eels will happily take to accepting sinking pellet preparations, if they apt for insect eaters. Other than the constraint caused by the dimensions of their mouths, fire eels are generalist carnivores and they are not fussy once they feel settled in.

However when they are freshly imported, spiny eels have a reputation as difficult fishes to feed, and newly arrived imports are more likely to be shy, and to eat only when the lights go out. Until they are feeding more boldly, active benthic fishes like loaches and catfishes, might well take all their food first. With slow and reluctant feeders, the choice of tankmates thus matters

Newly imported spiny eels are also vulnerable to stress and injury, from the process of collection and shipping. Fortunately they all acclimatize to aquarium diets with time, contrary to old misinformation that they will only eat living prey in the aquarium. Their actual care is not hard, assuming that healthy and bold individuals are chosen, particularly long term captives, and their needs are adequately and easily provided.

[homestuck-human-generator]

Name: Mr. Alex Barlow Color: Cameo Pink #Efbbcc Symbol: diamond Strife Specibus: bookkind Handle: tediousGalliot Animal: eel Pronouns: ke/kem/keir/keirs/kemself Age: 20 Birthday: 190th day of the year Sexuality: prone to company of the same gender Interests: dodgeball and hooping Dream Moon: prospit Classpect: Sylph of Life Land: Land of Sirens and Whispering, a helpless place, with stupid Spiny-tailed (Black) Iguana consorts. It is a place full of a black desert and canals of sand. Themis lurks in this land's volcanoes. Instrument: timbrel via homestuck-human-generator https://ift.tt/Il567Je

[writersblockcansuckmyballs]

Ok babes I finally finished Aquafolk

Species Name: Aquafolk Caste/s: Beast, Magician Deities: Irrenna, Jasper Origin: Born Affinity: Animals, Plants Description: The aquafolk are by far the most varied species in Ri'ath, all unified by their connection to aquatic and amphibious animals and, as the name would suggest, their dwelling in wetlands and large bodies of water. All subclasses of Aquafolk serve both the water goddess Irrenna and the nature god Jasper.

Subclasses; -Abyssal Aquafolk dwell in the abyss zone of the oceans of Ri'ath, 3-6 kilometres below the surface. They eat of the decomposing matter that settles on the sea floor and require no oxygen to survive. They have bioluminescent stripes covering their entire bodies, not unlike those of a tiger. Smooth, scaled and slender, their bodies are optimised for moving quickly through the water, like all ocean-dwelling subclasses. Large bulbous eyes, completely black, help them see in the incredibly low light environment. Some adopt similar features to their totem animals, such as the anglerfish, gulper eel and dumbo octopus.

-Entrenched Aquafolk make their home in the foreboding depths of ocean trenches. They feed on bacterial and microscopic organisms that live around hydrothermic vents. They have translucent skin and are eyeless due to the total lack of light in their habitat, and navigate by sensing movement in the water with spiny appendages along their arms and torso. Common totem animals of the entrenched aquafolk include starfish, giant tubeworms and cusk-eels.

-Inland Aquafolk dwell in rivers and lakes. They are amphibious and live in small settlements near, or sometimes on, the water. They have thick, scaled hides and hooked claws which they use to catch fish. Common totem animals of the Inland Aquafolk include crocodiles, alligators, salmon and ducks. Common plant totems include cattails, algae and water lilies. -Midnight Aquafolk occupy the midnight zone of the ocean, from around 1 to 4 kilometres deep. They are opportunistic hunters but prey is few and far between so scavenging is typically how they find nutrition. They sport four pairs of eyes, which can detect the slightest traces of light. Bright red patterns decorate sleek black bodies, elongated fingers ready to snatch any unfortunate trespasser and slim, eel-like tails twisting their way through the murky depths. Common totems of midnight aquafolk include vampire squid, sea cucumbers and angler fish.

-Swamp Aquafolk are amphibious and live in large communities in swamps, bogs and marshes. Mostly they catch birds, fish and small amphibians, though in desperate times they may resort to hunting crocodilians. The smallest of all the aquafolk, those that dwell in the wetlands typically only grow to around two feet tall. They have lidless dark green or brown eyes with pupils that resemble those of a frog. Their night vision is excellent, though they are far-sighted in the daylight, only registering movements of close objects. They pounce on their prey, propelled by disproportionately long legs and wide, webbed feet. They have retractable hooked claws and unlike most aquafolk, unwebbed fingers. They have segmented, chitinous body armour and do not have any teeth, using their claws to tear their food into chunks before swallowing it whole. Common totems include anacondas, crocodilians, bullfrogs, cattails and mangrove trees.

-Tidal Aquafolk are amphibious and live in shallow water and reefs near the shore. They subsist on seagrass, algae, shellfish and are less skittish around people than other subclasses and steal from fishermen frequently. They have cloudy blue-green eyes, small, closely packed needle-like teeth line their gums, with a second row at the back of their mouth. With gills situated on their necks as well as mammal-like lungs, they can breathe above and below the waves. Webbed hands and feet are tipped with short, hooked claws that aid with opening shells and also serve as effective weapons of self-defense. Common totems include crustaceans, sea turtles, coral and kelp

-Twilight Aquafolk dwell in the twilight zone of the ocean, from depths of around 200 metres to 1 kilometre below. They hunt as a pod, corralling schools of small fish in a similar fashion to the hunting tactics of seals. They swallow prey whole and have no teeth or claws to speak of. Twilight aquafolk have deep blue skin with striking green and yellow patterns at their extremities that distinguish individuals as surely as a land-dweller's fingerprint. They have the typical webbed digits on their hands but elongated rear flippers make them the most agile of any ocean-dwelling aquafolk. They have four fully black eyes, two on the front and two on the side of their heads. Common totems of Twilight aquafolk include squid, jellyfish and lanternfish.

[alphynix]

(I will probably do more with these pipe-necked weirdos at a later date.)

Transcript for the text on the image under the cut:

PAGE 1

Spectember 2020 #14 | nixillustration.com | alphynix.tumblr.com Concept suggested by: Jesse Sosa & anonymous

Land Sharks

(Selachipoda)

[Image: an early shark with a tapering eel-like body plan and four flipper-like fins. Its dorsal fin is ribbonlike, forming a continuous low fin along its back and tail. There's a long pointed spine on the back of its head.] Xenacanthus-like ancestral form

In a different version of the Late Devonian, sarcopterygians never made their way onto land – but instead at the dawn of the Carboniferous a lineage of early sharks took that evolutionary leap.

The xenacanthids were a group of small freshwater sharks with eel-like bodies and distinctive spines on the back of their heads. Some of them developed the ability to “walk” with their fins in a similar manner to modern epaulette sharks, and were able to survive brief crawls onto land to disperse to isolated bodies of water.

Soon this became a more mudskipper-like lifestyle, spending more time on land with stronger jointed fins. Their gill slits became enclosed in an inflatable “balloon” of skin with a single opening at the back, with the gills themselves stiffened against collapsing and able to absorb oxygen from the air as long as they were occasionally re-moistened with gulps of water – the start of something convergent to lungs. The head-spine shifted from a defensive function to a display structure, mobile enough to be raised and lowered to flash brightly-colored fins at each other.

Some descendants of these early land sharks went on to become the caecilian-like SNAPWYRMS, burrowing limbless creatures specialized to hunt small soil invertebrates – but others developed along a more tetrapod-like path.

Already using internal fertilization and giving live birth to fully-developed young, SHARKAPODS weren’t reproductively tied to the water like early tetrapods were in our timeline. Their neck-lungs became larger and more sophisticated, able to function in the increasingly drying climate of the Late Carboniferous. Now housed in rigid bulbous horn-like structures, their breathing used a unidirectional airflow system, pumping air in from the spiracles behind their eyes and exhaling it from the vents at the back.

While superficially lizard-like in shape, their leg joints didn’t bend in quite the same way, giving them a somewhat awkward gait resembling that of a tortoise.

But their cartilaginous skeletons couldn’t support much weight on land, and so they weren’t able to grow particularly large at first, generally remaining similarly-sized to their ancestors at only about 1m long (3’3”). The most successful Paleozoic lineage of sharkapods, the SHELLSHARKS, solved this problem by instead developing an exoskeleton-like carapace from fused dermal denticles, forming stronger stiffer supports for their bodies and allowing them to grow several times bigger.

[Image: a descendant of the eel-like shark. It's a mudskipper-like or amphibian-like animal, with four proto-legs, bulging gill pouches, and a colorful display fin supported by the spine on its head.] The transitional stem-sharkapod Vexillispinus ambulopterygius

PAGE 2

[Image: a descendant of the mudskipper-like shark, a worm-like animal with a long limbless body. A close-up view shows it head, with tiny vestigial eyes and its toothy jaws extended out like a goblin shark.] Snapwyrms like Harpavermis gaphilus had long snake-like bodies and only vestigial eyes, detecting subterranean invertebrates with electroreceptors in their snouts. Their gills were reduced and most of their respiration took place through their moist naked skin. Extending jaws with a slingshot-like motion allowed snapwyrms to rapidly snag their prey.

[Image: an armored sharkapod, a vaguely lizard-shaped animal covered in in armadillo-like carapace, with its limbs supported by an exoskeleton and serrated edges to its stumpy "feet". Its head is still shark-like, and it has a small colorful "flag" fin on its head and bulbous "lunghorns" on the sides of its neck.] Edaphoselachus sosai, a basal shellshark Large pointed denticles on the ends of shellsharks' limbs act like claws for traction.

Early shellsharks were still small carnivores or insectivores, and were not apex predators. Although their extensive carapaces proved useful to bear more weight and grow larger, the solid structure initially evolved as protection against the main predators in their ecosystems – huge arthropods such as griffinflies.

Later members of the group began to experiment with omnivorous and herbivorous niches, and by the Permian had become the largest terrestrial vertebrates of the Paleozoic. One of the very biggest species was Testudosquama avignatha, a 3m long (9'10") herbivore with a voluminous plant-fermenting digestive system.

Sharkapods' nostrils were blind holes and weren't involved in breathing at all, instead using a bellows-like mechanism to actively pull in air for their sense of smell. In some species their snouts became quite bulbous, housing increasingly complex and sensitive nasal systems.

While both their lunghorns and nasal chambers were sometimes used to produce loud resonating sounds, most Paleozoic sharkapods' hearing was poor, only able to hear low-frequency sounds in air and detecting them as much through ground-based vibration as with their under-developed internal ears. Visual communication was still prevalent, with the ancestral mobile flag-fins being retained on most species.

Extendable jaws remained a characteristic feature of sharkapods, swinging forwards to grab at food and then pulling it back into their mouths – although they were unable to chew and each bite had to be swallowed whole. Some of the herbivorous forms even fused their teeth into hard beaks to snip up tough vegetation.

[Image: a large armored shellshark with a vaguely tortoise-like body plan and a vivid black-and-orange color scheme. It has a bulbous snout, large lunghorns, a small flag-fin and a spiny tail. A close-up view of its head shows its beaked jaws extending.] The giant shellshark Testudosquama avignatha

[isaackuo]

Dragon Hunting Notes: Sailback Dragons

As an aside, Sea Dragons exist in my dragon hunter setting. However, humans do not really hunt them, so whatever. They:

1) Have a body plan similar to an oarfish

2) Fly like nothing on our Earth, using their entire body as a flying wing

3) Use sidewinding to move on the ground

4) Swim like a snake or eel

Sailback dragons are legless reptiles. They were initially somewhat small, and developed stickle-back spines as a defense from constrictor snakes. These spines became a spiny neural sail from head to tail.

Forest sailbacks began to glide from tree to tree using their bodies for lift like flying snakes. However, flying snakes are flattened horizontally, while sailbacks are flattened vertically. This means sailbacks can fly, even though flying snakes can only glide. The natural snake-like undulating motion produces thrust like flapping wings.

Ironically, sailbacks did not last in forest environments. Their flying wing body plan may have been fine for wrapping around the nearest tree, but pterosaurs could nimbly maneuver between branches for longer flights. Pterosaurs and snakes muscled out sailbacks from forests.

Sailbacks moved to coasts and rivers, occupying mostly seabird niches. They were excellent divers and swimmers, much better than pterosaurs.

Sadly, the K-T event almost wiped out sailbacks. Birds flooded into their niches, leaving the remaining sailback survivors as evolutionary relics. By the time humans arose, a sailback dragon was a rare and spectacular sight.

It will be a long time before humans understand how sailbacks fly. They look like snakes magically suspended in the air; their undulating motion looks nothing like flapping wings. Foreign scientists will be skeptical of their existence. Even after dead bodies will force them to admit that these wingless dragons exist, they will long refuse to accept they can fly.

Actually, when viewed from directly below, the body wing is apparent, but most of the rare sightings would be from an angle where the undulating motion would be the most visible thing.

Regardless of foreign skepticism, natives celebrate sailback dragons as noble magical creatures. This contrasts with the (well earned) reputation of pteropod dragons as cruel and evil. Dragon hunters are skeptical of their existence, so obviously they have no interest in hunting sailbacks.

OTOH, sailors worldwide fear giant flightless sea serpents, which occupy the niche of our large toothed whales, such as sperm whales. In myths, these sea serpents are often regarded as related to pteropod dragons, but in fact they are only distantly related. Even though dragon hunters dismiss sea serpents as mere sea stories, most will go along with the myths if they can get a "free" ride for protecting a ship.

To get some idea of how this would look, see this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrJgoQz5wSU

The drone in the video only waves incidentally, but that wave motion is how a sailback dragon would fly.

[my-name-is-dahlia]

Vocabulary (pt.dcccxxxiii)

Words taken from The Book of Eels (2020) by Patrik Svensson:

asphalt (n.) a dark bituminous pitch occurring naturally or made from petroleum.

swallow (n.) any of various migratory swift-flying insect-eating birds of the family Hirundinidae, with forked tail and long pointed wings.

tenner (n.) especially British informal. a ten-dollar bill or a ten-pound note.

lactic acid (n.) a clear odourless syrupy carboxylic acid formed in sour milk, and produced in the muscle tissues during strenuous exercise.

perch (n.) any spiny-finned freshwater edible fish of the genus Perca, especially P. flavescens of North America or P. fluviatilis of Europe.

perjurer (n.) a person guilty of perjury.

intrinsic (adj.) inherent, essential; belonging naturally.

dill (n.) an umbelliferous herb, Anethum graveolens, with yellow flowers and aromatic seeds.

braise (v.) fry lightly and then stew slowly with a little liquid in a closed container.

brush (n.) undergrowth; small trees or shrubs.

[oceansurfarisnorkeling]

Reef Surfari Snorkel Report - Safe to book an adventure of a lifetime!

Whether you’re planning an island getaway or have already arrived in St. Thomas or St. John, booking a snorkeling adventure is a must while you’re in the Caribbean! The memories you’ll make are sure to last a lifetime. For example, one of our recent guests had the opportunity to swim alongside a spotted eagle ray. As the guest twirled while swimming through the water, the ray circled around the swimmer. They were playing together in a magical, unforgettable moment!

This is just a glimpse into the type of experience you could encounter when you book one of Ocean Surfari - Reef Snorkel Excursions’ snorkeling tours. And if that’s not enough, here’s a few more reasons why you should make your reservation:

 ●       The Caribbean's turquoise blue water is warm and clear. There's great weather and stunning visibility in the summer!

●       Our vessel, the Reef Surfari catamaran, is a spacious boat with room for up to 49 people to board. Passengers can safely spread out during boat tours and while enjoying a snorkeling excursion.

●       Covid-19 safety measures are always in practice as per standard procedures. We always sanitize snorkel gear with a bleach water solution to ensure safety. For added peace of mind, new mouth pieces, goggles and masks are for sale at our Ocean Surfari retail shop. If you would like to use your own instead of our rental gear, that is perfectly okay, as well.

 Here are just a few of the places we are currently exploring during snorkeling tours:

 ●       Majo Bay – This is a popular national park near St. John – It is one of the best spots to consistently find sea turtles, rays, starfish, cushion stars, and remora (sucker fish). It is known for clear, calm waters. Its shallow waters make for a great beginner's snorkeling spot in the Caribbean.

●       Waterlemon Cay – This is located in Leinster Bay, St. John. It is a beautiful reef that offers colorful tropical fish and coral.  Visitors can often see yellow tail snappers, jacks, groupers, barracudas, mackerel, tarpon, and spotted eagle rays. A lucky few may spot an octopus and/or eel. There are also Caribbean spiny lobsters and nurse sharks.

●       Lovango Cay –  Situated just off St. John, the calm waters around this private, eco-friendly island are home to a variety of tropical fish and nurse sharks.

●       Mingo Cay – A short boat ride from Cruz Bay, this tiny island features a well developed coral canyon just off its western side.

  Are you ready to book your snorkeling tour experience? Contact Ocean Surfari in St. Thomas, VI at (340) 227-5448 today!

[fouquesartcorner]

Species ref: Aikaya

Aikaya [p: Aikayan]

[An aquatic species whose known for their more elegant appearance, biofusion technology, and they share a common myth as those of the Immortal Jellyfish.]

Inspiration: Didn't want to go full Mermaid, but still wanted to play with an aquatic species. Naiads and Sirens became my inspirational source. Though later Mermaids’ lore and the Immortal Jellyfish came next. Background: The Aikaya were once a mammalian species and technologically advanced at the time. When their world began to flood due to a phenomenon which accelerated melting of glaciers, and as their land masses began to flood they began to invest in under water habitats. This led to their scientists tinkering with a way to accelerate and control their evolution by enabling them to inherit aquatic features to survive both on land and sea. Eventually it reached a point where they could survive in deep ocean environments and transition to the surface at will. They’ve also managed to evolve so that they experience extremely slow cell death that it would almost appear they don't experience it at all or degeneration that goes on as they get older--meaning that that they wouldn’t really show signs of aging(which is the slow desaturation of their coloration), they’d just reach their adult growth and then look that way for a very long time. Thus leading to the misconception that they are immortal. General Appearances: They're humanoid with digigrade legs and webbed feet. A pair of gills lining their ribs and the base of their necks, used for breathing since they do not have noses on their face. There is little dimorphism since females do not have breasts, where as the females have flowy fins while the males have spinal fins. Markings are typically naturally seen like spots and stripes. So if there were swirls or runes, it's typically tattoos and not natural markings. Typical fashion for Aikayan would be would appear like that of body suits, with cut outs to allow their gills to breath freely. They would add draping fabric as tail coats, cloaks, skirts, or shawls to accent their bodysuits.

Egkhili: [Common Aikayan/Ribbon Tails] Inspiration: Eels, tadpoles Notable traits for their appearances: They are generally the more commonly seen Aikayan. Known for their tails being flatten like those of eels with ribbon like fins, being as long or short, like those of tadpoles. Extra Notes: Egkhili (based on the Greek word egkhelys for Eel).

Flocarus/Flocarii:  [Floral Fins] Inspiration: Flowers, jellyfishes Notable traits for their appearances: Notably known more for their females, whose fins grow and form in such a way that appears floral in shape and that of jellyfishes. Males lack the floral formation, but their fins tend to be flowing just as their female counterparts due to having thinner spines in their fins. Extra Notes: Name derived from Flo (from flower), Car (from caritate, or splendor), and Us (from angelus).

Aequozoa: [Luminous Fins] Inspiration: Angler fish, Squid, Bio-luminescence fishes Notable traits for their appearances: These Aikayan are better known for their natural bioluminescence, appearing in their eyes, markings and barbs that grow along their fins. Extra Notes: Name derived from Aequo from Aequorea Victoria (Crystal Jellyfish) and Zoa from hydrozoa, which is the crystal jellyfish’s category of jellyfish. Also mild inspiration from squids for how the females' tail fans out.

Dermenos: [Spiny Armor] Inspiration: Seahorses, Succulents, Trilobites Notable traits for their appearances: These Aikayan are the biggest of their species, are known for the armor that lines their body, being plating or segmented armored plating. Due to the plating, they rarely have markings that their brethren carry, though it's not impossible for them to have them. Extra Notes: Name derived from Derm from derma, Greek word for skin and Enos from thorakismenos, Greek word for armored. Female fins can sometimes be seen similar to those of succulents versus the more elegant floral appearing fins that the Flocarii tend to sport.

Fomoar: [Ghosts/Spectre] Inspiration: See-thru fishes, ghosts, frosted Nudibranch, This Fish Notable traits for their appearances: They're rarer to see due to how they live in seclusion and in deeper waters. Due to that, their eyes are darker while their skin are very light, so light you don't normally see markings on them. However, what you would note is that their flesh is translucent to the point if you happen to show a light on them, you might be able to see a faint reflection of their skeletal structure under their flesh, which earned them the nickname "Ghosts." Their fins, unlike the others, are transparent. Extra Notes: Name derived from Fo from Foteinos (Greek word for luminous), Ma from Pnevmatikos (Greek word for ghostly), and Or from Omorfia (Greek word for beauty). Their appearance were inspired from the Frosted Nudibranch. Also doubt you can see their organs, due to the how quickly they'd swim off or how far off they are, just saying.

Other Misc Notes: - Singular name for Aikaya is Aikaya. Plural and species possessive name is Aikayan. Group of Aikayan is a cluster(not school lol) - While a lot aren’t religious, they can still be spiritual. They would believe in The Goddesses, Aikaya deities presiding over the idealization of life, death, nature, etc. Their key Goddess is The Mother, who’s equivalent to mother nature, a giver of life to all things. But due to the rise in technological advancement, they referred to the Goddess and less so by that point not mainly would reference their beliefs as much. - Aikaya young automatically know how to swim once entering the water, as it is a natural feeling to them. They spend most of their youth in the water, developing the muscles and skills to navigate through the water. They also start out bald and their tail fins do look like that of a tadpole, but is very small– nubby tailed– before it grows out to what it’d normally be as an adult. - Due to spending a lot of of time in the water, when it’s time for Aikaya youth decide it’s time to explore land, it takes them since they’re essentially toddlers learning how to balance on their digigrade legs and learning to walk. - They also have the extra sense to understand sound waves, since on their homeworld they coexisted with another species that spoke in soundwaves(like whales and such) that echoed through the water. They can understand and translate, even when all what others would hear is the ethereal moans and thrilling of said species/creature. (Des) And that would imply, if there were whales left on Earth, they would find communicating with them fairly easy.  - They can survive outside the water, but generally would rather keep hydrated as much as possible. When more dehydrated, it shows by how dull their skin is. - When they die, their skin essentially turns grey and their fins kind of dry out(think dried flowers) - While they do heal quickly, they cannot regrow limbs. So if their leg was cut off, the leg will not grow back at all. - I imagine like fishes there’s less fat on them and more muscle(since when holding even a small fish they’re difficult to hold due to their muscles) even if they’re still squishy to an extent.  - Also since less fat, they do not have sagging flesh-- like breasts on mammals. It'll drag in the water.  - (Des) As technologically advanced as they are, signs of Aikayan tech is very rare. If one finds some it’d be within an Aikayan cluster, where they have the means and numbers to collaborate to build something for themselves– IF they have an Aikaya engineer or scientist to even do that. Otherwise it’d be less likely. Their technological advancement is usually in bioengineering and dual purpose techs– almost transformative and adaptive techs with mult-purposes.

Aikayan, their concept, and art © me Names are thanks to RiskellionGamble on DA They are also a species that are not open for random people to make all willy nilly just because. They are also not a species I intend to make as one of those closed species peeps can buy rights to make either. Too much work to over see that and junk. The only peeps who are free to make characters off of these are friends of mine who I’ve drawn Aikayan for or those who talk to me enough to not need permission, or those who have characters of them within Cosmos Descended or Solar Winds– two stories by two friends of mine. Do not repost, edit, trace, or steal. Reblog is fine.

[eldunea]

POKÉMON PROFILES: TAVO.

species: talonflame cockatrice. ability: gale wings. primary moves: brave bird, flare blitz, roost, double team, dragon dance. secondary moves: acrobatics, will-o-wisp, tailwind, façade, defog, dragon claw, protect. length of time spent with lotor: 6 years (since age 10). other notes: can breed with the dragon egg group as well as the flying one.

HISTORY.

they say never to breed a bird with a dragon. or, if you do, never let a dragon incubate it. well, some fuckwit thought that both of those things were good ideas. and thus, tavo was born.

his breeder paid the price for her transgression. when the five-day-old half-noivern hatchling opened his eyes for the first time, the woman was immediately turned to stone. this could have spelled freedom for the young chick--at least until some dumbass trainer scooped him up thinking he could use his power to win battles. but unfortunately for him, the freakshow that she promised him to remembered what she had offered, and they weren’t going to let a little thing like “the other party to the deal being dead” get in their way. sneaking up on him from behind, they managed to capture him and bring him to their traveling circus. they got the added bonus of several free statues during their attempt.

he was treated just as well as you might expect from an industry that uses whips and bullhooks on lions to “tame” them. he was put in blinders half the time, dragged from place to place in complete darkness and a too-cold cage, only allowed to see during performances and rehearsals when he was to showcase his deadly power. if he froze someone due to their own carelessness, he was mercilessly beaten as though it were his fault. one might think that he would be able to just freeze them all--but it is often the case with abuse that even the most powerful animals can be thrashed into helplessness. if that weren’t true, circus shows would never be able to feature dangerous animals at all. 

he suffered for years until that one fateful day when lotor spotted the headline in the news: circus sued by dozens for turning audience members to stone. and as if that weren’t bad enough for his pokémon-loving heart, he also read in the article that they were considering killing the cockatrice. incensed, he immediately took tavo’s side. it wasn’t the bird’s fault that it was born with a deadly skill, and it wasn’t the bird’s fault that audience members were getting killed--it was the circus’ fault for being irresponsible enough to have such a creature in their shows! he decided he must immediately rescue this bird, as well as all the other animals in the circus’ possession. he raided their encampment, letting loose all except the talonflame cockatrice, which he captured. as an eleven-year-old boy he did not exactly think this through--wild hybrids tend to wreak havoc on ecosystems--but at least he had the forethought to realize that the cockatrice was the most dangerous pokémon in the collection, and he knew what was coming to it if the authorities had to deal with that.

at first, tavo hated him. he thought he was going to be just another one of those assholes who beat him into doing things he didn’t want to do. he particularly didn’t like the fact that lotor kept the blinders on whenever the two of them interacted because he didn’t want to get turned to stone. but the only reason why lotor kept him in captivity was because he knew that if tavo were released into the wild, he would be hunted and killed by the authorities. (sure, many of the other hybrids lotor set free faced this fate, but………eleven-year-old kid, everybody. even with genius intelligence, it would be impossible for him to get everything right.) tavo was the one that he knew for sure it would happen to, because a hybrid cockatrice would be considered too dangerous to be allowed to roam free and harm whoever they like. the bird grew to love and trust his new owner, allowing lotor to ride him as a mount--and eventually, to use him in battle.

ABILITIES & SPECIES TRAITS.

tavo fights blind in official tournaments and friendly matches, relying on his hearing and lotor’s instructions. using his stone-turning abilities in battle is illegal under international pokémon battling law, and he can still turn opponents to stone even if his eyes are semi-covered by their nictitating membrane. thus, lotor has to put blinders on him every time he enters him in a competition. lotor has been working on developing lenses for him that will allow him to look at others without turning them to stone, but he hasn’t managed to do that yet. in the meantime, though, tavo’s willingness to fight without his eyesight is a show of the complete and utter trust that he puts into his trainer.

like eel and basilisk pokémon, he has a pharyngeal jaw inside his beak--a second jaw that grips onto prey and helps to drag prey down his throat. also like basilisk pokémon, he is capable of speaking human language.

though he is not dragon-typed, his ability to use dragon dance and dragon claw come from his cockatrice nature.

i should draw him tbh but he has scales as well as feathers, and instead of a talonflame’s feathered tail he has a scaled, spiny, prehensile one.

pokémon such as blaziken and delibird are his natural enemies. while he won’t die if he hears a rooster crow, he does have a phobia of any chickenlike pokémon and they will have a massive advantage over him in a fight.

lotor, being the science-loving genius he is, figured out how tavo could use roost without having to land on the ground. roost only requires that the pokémon be nonmoving, and he figured out that if you don’t technically move yourself but are still falling through the air, that also counts as nonmoving. thus, tavo can use roost while free fall diving at the constant rate of gravitational acceleration, 9.8 m/s^2. lotor most often likes to have tavo use roost as he dives using brave bird, allowing him to fill up to 100% HP and get that gale wings move priority every fucking time. this gives tavo the extra bonus of being a wall and a physical striker at the same time: he has legitimately outstalled the likes of cofagrigus, umbreon and milotic with this strategy.

lotor has also effectively figured out how to use tailwind to raise attack as well as speed: he has his pokémon use momentum to enhance the power of their attacks. 

PERSONALITY & PERSONAL TRAITS.

when lotor first met tavo, he was timid and submissive like a scared child. he didn’t do anything to contradict lotor’s orders even though he loathed being around a human. but as their relationship progressed, tavo became so angry that he could make the birds from angry birds look like pacifists. he was violent, often snapping with his beak and sending bursts of flame at lotor--he has scars from it as well.

tavo expected to be beaten for this. but lotor took this with a bit of amusement, telling him “it’s good that you have a fighting spirit.” this is what changed his opinion of his master, and so his true personality began to be revealed. far from the stereotype of the fiery fire-type, tavo is calm and stoic, never showing negative emotions or bending under pressure. under his abuse he used to be afraid of everything, but under his trainer’s care his true fearlessness was unmasked. he knows now not to be scared. 

if only he knew how to properly express the feelings that he did have.

tavo has a dedicated relationship with narti, lotor’s basilisk serperior. cockatrices and basilisks get along famously so when lotor first got him, he introduced him to her so that he would have her comfort. narti had her eyes and tongue ripped out by humans so she couldn’t turn her abusers to stone or call for help, so she and tavo could also relate due to their stories of suffering at human hands. the two of them love each other very much. tbh initially, one of the main reasons he decided to stay with lotor was to be with narti.

[imagine-organization-xiii]

If the org. Xiii would go to Atlantica, which type of mermaid would they be?

EDIT: Okay thank you to grandma-kei for clarifying what this ask meant.  Here you go, anon! As an apology for my confusion, I added some awesome images of fish to this post! I found a bunch of mermaid drawings with these exact tails, but I didn’t want to steal anyone’s art, but look up some images on google!  They’re really neat!

Xemnas - Great White Shark - The Monster of the Deep

Xigbar - Great Barracuda - Little Spiny Bitch

Xaldin - Killer Whale - Badass Giant

Vexen - Octopus - Intelligent but also an Idiot

Lexaeus - Humpback Whale - Gentle Giant

Zexion - Mandarin Fish - tiny, smart, and sassy

Saix - The Immortal Jellyfish - I mean, why not

Axel - Flame Angelfish - Vibrant and Wild

Demyx - Clownfish -  funny and has lost his son

Luxord - Seahorses - Beautiful and Sassy

Marluxia - Lionfish - Bizarre and Beautiful

Larxene - Electric Eel - Dangerous and Sassy

Roxas - Goldfish - i mean honestly what else?

Xion - Angel Fish - The Purest Bean