#the crest is a fish!!

[flightdescending]

Flight Rising Protobeast but there are so many of them!! and baby ones also!!!

[eulaties]

the venn diagram between crane wives, rabbitology, family crest, and fish in a birdcage fans is a goddamn circle

[speculativ-evo]

Geckoflagellatus aquaticus The flag fishers are descendants of crested geckos. They have evolved to exploit the immensely diverse aquatic habitats, encompassing both freshwater and marine environments. Over time, they developed elongated scale tufts, derived from their ancestors’ crests, which they effectively employ as lures to attract unsuspecting aquatic insectivores. These lures mimic flies, ultimately serving as a means for the flag fishers to secure their next meal. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced within the species, particularly evident in males who exhibit longer necks. Notably, males also possess brightly colored dewlaps, varying in markings, which lend the species its namesake.

In many of the environments inhabited by flag fishers, numerous species of lichen flourish, characterized by vibrant colors and diverse formations. Although fungal growth patterns akin to those on their ancestral planet are observed, such occurrences had not been commonplace for nearly a billion years. Remarkably, the transplanted lichens on this world exhibit a peculiar affinity for fungal trees, influenced by the introduction of a gene drive. This genetic alteration increases the likelihood of fungal trees evolving, representing the only significant deviation from ancestral genomes. The rationale behind such alterations remains enigmatic, possibly attributed to the advanced civilization with intent to propagate life across uninhabited planets affinity for the once common form of “forest” anticipating the emergence of diverse forms of life.

[respect-the-locals]

🦈 Daily Shark Fact: 🦈

Crested Bullhead Sharks overlap in range with the closely related, more common Port Jackson Shark. These two species can even be observed in the same habitat. However, the Bullhead starts to replace the Port Jackson Shark in the more northern part of its range. Unlike its relative, the Bullhead does not gather in large groups.

This species is protected within the Marine Parks that occur within its geographic range in eastern Australia. Unfortunately that part of the world is experiencing noticeable effects of climate change, from documented impacts on the physical environment of the ocean.

[puppygirlpencil]

The other elite!! His name is Kusovai (featuring his smooth bf)

[arthistoryanimalia]

For #SharkWeek2024 🦈:

Bill Reid (Haida, 1920-1998)

Dogfish Brooch, 1959

22kt Gold, 3" H x 1 ½" W

Douglas Reynolds Gallery

“Reid's earlier work was in part characterized by his study of Haida artist and Chief, Charles Edenshaw. This particular brooch is styled after an Edenshaw tattoo design and the original sketch is part of the permanent collection of the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York City.”

👇

Charles Edenshaw [aka Daxhiigang] (Haida, c. 1839–1920)

Qqaaxhadajaat (The Dogfish Woman), 1897

pencil w/ red ochre & blue pigments on paper, 28 x 23.5 cm

American Museum of Natural History Z/26

More info:

“DOGFISH

Indigenous artwork on the Pacific Northwest Coast often incorporates figures and animals that are related to crest symbols. Crests have been passed down through families and have varying meanings depending on the context and association with a nation, clan, or family. The figures depicted in contemporary Northwest Coast Indigenous artwork also have varying meanings but there are some common characteristics from a range of sources, including oral histories and artist descriptions.

Dogfish is a small variety of shark found on the Northwest Coast and is sometimes said to represent assertiveness and persistence. Dogfish, and Dogfish Woman, is an important crest and figure among the Haida, and some Nuu-chah-nulth communities. Dogfish is a favourite subject of renowned Haida artists, Robert Davidson and Bill Reid, who set the precedent for this figure as a common motif in contemporary Northwest Coast art. Dogfish is often portrayed face-on, distinguished by a high, domed head, distinctive gills, triangular teeth, and split pupils.”

[dykeza]

Sso players when the game is updated by the people making the game who are paid to make the game

[virginyathevamp]

[wispisstillverybored67]

Wisp rambles about GyoTengu, the post.

I'm digging in my own grave... But whatever.

Swap AU is hinted at with a $ in front.But SO!

We have the very obvious difference in aesthetics, no matter where you look. Gyokko is primarily white, but there's obvious color everywhere you look. Meanwhile, Hantengu appears as a usually dark colored old man. His tones make it hard to discern color. The only thing in common in their looks is that they're... grotesque, in a sense. Gyokko is self explanatory, with what his face in all the wrong spots, and his damn arms as well. Hantengu is a bit more low-key on this, with his lack of eye definition, gnarly limbs and nails, and massive tumor jutting out of his forehead.

And their personalities are also distinct. Gyokko is extroverted, (and the only one to reciprocate friendly feelings with Douma, to boot!), arrogant, egotistical, and macabre. He's very in your face about things. Hantengu, on the other hand is very much a coward, and afraid of nearly everything. He's introverted by definition, clearly presents as pathetic, a nervous wreck, and would clearly rather remain low-key.

But there IS one thing that they DO have alike though: their "delusions".

Gyokko believes himself to be a great artiste and a thing of beauty, and liked.... Hantengu thinks that, no matter what he does, he's innocent of wrong-doing, regardless of how out-there it seems.

Between that... It would seem like they'd never get along.

And you may have a point: their only canon interaction is when Hantengu is criticizing Gyokko on his lack of time frame (he said it was 90 year's since a meeting was called, when it was only 103<).

HOWEVER.

It's a comfort HC of mine, so to speak, that they're quite good friends with each other. I believe that their uh... (gestures to everything) will work creepily well. And I can see the two having a twistedly caring bond with each other. $And even as the Pillars, they might actually have a better chance at this, since, mostly through process of elimination (I gave Gyokko Mitsuri's role, while Hantengu got Iguro's)$ Still, you can assume where this heads with my suggestion, and their given roles.

They are as the sun and moon, distinct, yet reliant on each other.

Hantengu is the hateful introvert, Gyokko is the unorthodox extrovert.

Believe it or not, Hantengu actually makes the first move no matter where you look.

Perhaps it was under the urgings of the clones, or an awkward conversation starter, but it's there. And it's an odd feeling. For the both of them.

Gyokko, who only extended this "love" to another person once as a human, and only focuses his "love" towards his art, was attached to this rat (affectionate)? Hantengu, who's every extent of his "love" ended with a widow's kiss, and holds his "love" in a separate entity (Urogi, and not really) entirely from himself, was attached to this beast (affectionate)?

Very confusing indeed.

$Kokushibo somehow figured out that they're in love with each other WAY before even Hantengu did. And when he (terrifyingly) confessed to him, he just went, "Ah. Is he aware of it as well?"$

$So he goes, "P-Probably n-Wait what?!"$ (You can tell he's pining a bit...)

No matter what, Kokushibo figures it out, Douma grills him for it, Sekido, Aizetsu, Urogi, Karaku and Zohakuten playing reluctant match maker, and Gyokko himself finds it out WAY. TOO. DAMN. LATE.

Yes. Poor Gyokko indeed. In either case, I believe that he had made him a vase (corpse tree in the vase up to you in canon specifics) as a gift, only, you know, he forgot to give it to him. It was based off a scene of a rare calm Hantengu. You guessed it, Kokushibo figured its existence before its intended target.

This can serve as a nice scene of ship tease in either canon, before their uh... deaths.

See, if Iguro and Mitsuri get their scenes, of course these bastards do so also! $I'm actually working a post on how Hantengu views the other Pillars, and another HC comes into play with their relationship that can't be recreated in canon.$

The HC in question? Hmm...

$Inspired by Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth for this... Hantengu is just his last name. His given name is "Shiko". Plainly translated as "Fourth (or something death related) Child", it's very demeaning for someone like him. As he hates his name, he just says his name is "Hantengu" and nothing more. The only one to know this name is, you guessed it, Gyokko (named Managi Mizamura)! He just shrugged it off when he got told of it... and then he clarified why. Yeah. He promised to never call him by that again. But for a hint of tragedy, I like to believe that he asked him to call him that (for some damn reason) when they died together.$

Hehehe... Dear Rei provided me with some inspo... So I finished this specific HC in her honor.

[feeshies]

sketching my cousland

[mizukagami-takamagahara]

Crest Analysis = Taokaka

I was messing around with some stuff today, and somehow ended up really staring at Taokaka’s crest.  After hours of wasting my day staring at this, I realized...

It’s Cats.  It’s All Cats.

It’s pretty easy to see that the whole crest itself is a cat’s face.  We’ve got a big toothy grin (much like Tao’s) and a little nose, whiskers on either side, some eyes and ears.

The expression on the cat’s face here (the big mouth and how the eyes are designed) makes me think of the Komainu statues seen in Japan/Shishi statues seen in China and of Chinese lion dancer puppets.  Though when I pull up pictures to compare, I find it more difficult to pinpoint the common thread that’s making my brain associate the imagery.  Like, it’s definitely there, but I’m unable to articulate it, and it may be a link that only exists in my own head.

But outside of the main face, there are tons of cats making up the crest.  Here’s all the ones I was able to find.

First we have the most prominent duo at the bottom of the crest.  We’ve got two mirrored cats.  The entirety of their head/ears are pretty apparent.  We can see one of their legs stretched out and displaying their claws, and two other legs lower down the body.  The loop connecting them could be their tails, though the lines above that also look like tails on these images.  Beside both of their heads we see a little circular image that, alongside all the other cat theming, looks to me like a paw print.

So, if we count the whole face of the Crest as one cat, these give us... Cat Count: 3

Now we’re moving on to the cats that I never noticed until I really analyzed the Crest.  The ears on the cat’s face???  They’re cats.  On the left here I circled the whole cat/ear, while on the right I’ve doodled a bit to show the cat’s head, whiskers, front legs, visible back leg, and tail.

But I’m not even done with THIS image.  While highlighting this, I found more cats.

We got another lil’ cat connected to the ear cats.  What would this be?  An eyebrow cat???  I’m not sure, but let’s take a closer look- I’ll trace the one on the right, like one would a constellation, and circle the same part on the left.

^ This bit here???  Ears. ^

^ Front and back legs ^

And by now you probably saw the tail yourself.

No cats connected to THESE ones, as far as I can tell, so that means Cat Count: 7

Next we’ve got another prominent set of cats that are, as far as I can tell, not hiding or connected to any smaller cats.  It’s just these guys, on either side of the face, right above the whiskers.

We can see the ears, head, nose, arguably an eye- though if it’s open or closed depends on how you interpret the image- and we see another extended arm with some claws out.

This is paralleled on the other side of the face, which means Cat Count: 9

But wait.  What’s that???  Right between the topmost whisker and the one below...

You may call this a stretch, but you know what I’m calling it?  A cat.  And again it’s paralleled on the other side of the Crest.

I would also be inclined to argue that this chunk here resembles another outstretched arm with two claws displayed, given the shapes making up said ‘claws,’ but with no face attached to that arm I won’t be adding it or its mirror to the count.

Cat Count: 11

And you know what I see when looking at the eyes???  More cats.  Three for each eye, specifically.  On the right here I’ve just blocked out the eye, while on the left I’ve circled each individual cat shape, as I see it.

Which, unless I’m missing stuff, leaves us with... Total Cat Count:  17

And even all this rambling doesn’t account for all the long lines with curved ends that could look like cat tails.  I’d be here all day if I tried to count those for you though if you ask, I might give it a shot.  Or the many sets of three parallel lines often used in art to suggest (cat) scratch marks.  OR the overlapping lines seen in the nose that, again, suggest scratches.

NOR am I counting all the FISH hidden in the Crest.  There are so many fish in this image.  I’m counting 20 at a glance.  Wait, no, 22.  Actually I could add to that if I was willing to get a little more abstract...  Hell, more, if you’re willing to say that the images making up the most notable fish’s spines also look like a different kind of fish...

If you want the final fish count, let me know.

[kira-mortham]

Thought I might as well share some of my recent animal photography with y'all.

[besidethepath]

Sushi - delivered

[betweenapitchandacast]

These 8 Reasons Are Why You Need Big Bear On Your Bucket List

Big Bear National Park is a breathtaking destination that offers visitors a unique experience with its stunning scenery, diverse wildlife, and endless recreational activities. Located in Southern California, the park is a true gem that should be on every nature lover’s bucket list. Here are some of the top reasons why you should visit Big Bear National Park: Table of Contents Jaw-dropping…

[ceruleanvulpine]

huge respect to @myxinidaes for reblogging that post with 100 birds