Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Speculative biology is simultaneously a science and form of art in which one speculates on the possibilities of life and evolution. What could the world look like if dinosaurs had never gone extinct? What could alien lifeforms look like? What kinds of plants and animals might exist in the far future? These questions and more are tackled by speculative biologists, and the Speculative Evolution welcomes all relevant ideas, inquiries, and world-building projects alike. With a member base comprising users from across the world, our community is the largest and longest-running place of gathering for speculative biologists on the web.

While unregistered users are able to browse the forum on a basic level, registering an account provides additional forum access not visible to guests as well as the ability to join in discussions and contribute yourself! Registration is free and instantaneous.

Join our community today!

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
Nomad Spades; marine cephalostia are making a come back...
Topic Started: Oct 4 2010, 10:34 AM (644 Views)
StinglessBee
Member Avatar
Adolescent
 *  *  *  *  *
Name: Nomad spades
Time: mid-late Carboniferous
Size: 40-100cm long
Diet: Herbivorous, eating neocharophytes and algae.
Habitat: Nomadic, travelling across shallow water from neospoggia forest to neospoggia forest

Spades are so named because of the shape: they look remarkably like the playing card’s ace of spades. This is because the tail has become muscular, whilst the tentacles on the body coil up to form thin “dorsal fins” on the top and bottom of the body when not in use. These tentacles are used entirely in reproduction, with males using the tentacles on the bottom of the body to clasp the females in reproduction and using the same tentacles to wrestle other males into submission. The females, meanwhile, use the tentacles to form a safe place to carry their eggs instead of laying them in a less safe place or releasing them to the currents as is often done by other cephalostia.

Nomad spades live in large shoals, travelling from neospoggia forest to neospoggia forest in search of algae and neocharophytes to eat with their thin beak, providing food for a good deal of predators in the process. However, they survive by a mixture of shoaling and speed.

Similar species: despite spades being a fairly large family, very few are similar in lifestyle to the nomad spade. However, it has two smaller relatives (each averaging around 50cm) and is also similar to the larger caravan spade, though whether this is due to them being related to them or due to a certain amount of convergent evolution is debatable.
Edited by StinglessBee, Oct 23 2010, 07:17 AM.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous)
« Previous Topic · Rewriting Earth · Next Topic »
Add Reply