Spineback Scylla

Spineback Scylla (Panoptius ramses)
Creator	Nergali Other
Taxonomy
Domain Kingdom Subkingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species	Eukaryota Trinucleata Maciotrinucleozoa Siphonopneumata Thermoptophora Scylloi Scyllidae Panoptius Panoptius ramses
Epoch/Generation	2/145
Habitat	Mason Polar Beach, Mason Tundra
Size	6 cm Long
Support	Unknown
Diet	Scavenger
Respiration	Unknown
Thermoregulation	Unknown
Reproduction	Asexual, Hard-Shelled Eggs

Descendant of	Ancestor of
Bighorn Scylla	Reef Scylla

Splitting from its ancestor, the spineback scylla has adapted to life on Masons sole island. It has become a scavenger, searching for fresh corpses and the like via smells and residual heat signatures. The fat stores it develops help it stay warm in the cold, and provide minor protection from predators. Another defense is a spine on its back that provides protection when younger. Another evolutionary adaption is a more advanced respiratory system that is partially internalized with a series of air holes that open and close in a rhythmic pattern, the first two pairs bringing in air as they do. The air is then passed through the internal tubing, which is larger and loops around itself but possesses fewer coils. After passing through, the air is released through the last two pairs.

Moving across the expanses of land of Mason, the spineback scylla prefers the beaches as that is where the majority of the food is. They will occasionally stumble into the mainland, but often via mistake. They can survive along the edges of it, though, feeding on other species that have wandered their as well and died. They rarely do this, though, preferring the dead sea creatures that wash ashore and the like for food.

Notes

Shading by Mnidjm.