#Scombriformes

[taxonomytournament]

Taxonomy Tournament: Fish

Scombriformes. This order contains tuna and mackerels.

Syngnathiformes. This order is made up of fish with long narrow bodies, with some groups swimming with their bodies aligned vertically to blend in with seaweed. Examples include the seahorse, trumpet fish, and sea moths.

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Tuna fish might be a tasty meal for us, but in the wild they’re the ones at the top of the food chain. Each of the 15 species of tuna fish in the genus Thunnini preys on a variety of fish, squid, and crustaceans, and are often the first ones on the scene of a feeding frenzy. Part of what makes them such good hunters is their speed; some tuna have been clocked at over 70 kph (43 mph)!

(Image: A school of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) by Brian Skerry)

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a kofi!

[haveyouseenthisanimal-irl]

Range: Indian Ocean & western Pacific Ocean

[wainwrightjakobshammerlock]

ALRIGHT P2 Here's Sir Alistair as a bird and a fish BASED ON VIBES KACHOW

He IS

The handsome Mallard duck and

The dignified bluefin tuna

Not a bird of prey?! I think Alistair would be quite disappointed to hear that one.

He is bluefin tuna coded though. Not exactly a badass shark but the closest you can get to one without being one.

[bluecatwriter]

For the art prompts: Conseil describes a sea creature to Ned Land

Thank you for your infinite patience, but I finally got around to this today!

Featuring Thunnus alalunga (Albacore tuna, genus Thunnus, family Scombidae, order Scombriformes, class Actinopterygii, phylum Chordata, kingdom Animalia)

[encyclopika]

Animal Crossing Fish  - Explained #193

Brought to you by a marine biologist and a fish colonizing new horizons seas...

CLICK HERE FOR THE AC FISH EXPLAINED MASTERPOST!

One of my biggest pet peeves is when people tell me they don’t believe humans are having a profound effect on the planet and the other species that call this space rock home. But, like, literally everything we do affects an animal somewhere. That’s not to say it’s necessarily *bad* for that organism - sometimes it’s great for them, but at the detriment of other species (in which we call those invaders invasive species). Today’s fish certainly has us to thank for literally opening the door to new frontiers for it, and it’s not in the usual “Person A is dumb and let this thing free in the local pond” business. 

The Silver Pomfret was a Pocket Camp winter fish that appeared in December 2020 and stayed until March 2021 in the marine area. Someone let me know if it ever came back?

Anyway, the Silver Pomfret is named to species because ACPC likes making my life extremely easy. I’m spoiled. Anyway, this is Pampus argenteus, a type of butterfish native to the Indo-Pacific, primarily the coastal waters of the Middle East through South Asia. It is, of course, widely eaten in that part of the world. Butterifish are an interesting group of fish. They are surprisingly a part of the same Order as Mackerels and Tunas, the Scombriformes. Within that order, butterfish split off into Family Stromateidae, of which there are 15 species of butterfish, and they appear worldwide. Some other fish are called “butterfish” (it typically has to do with how the meat tastes when cooked), but if it’s not in Stromateidae, it’s not a true butterfish. Yes, we gatekeep fish terms here.

By Hamid Badar Osmany - http://fishbase.de/photos/thumbnailssummary.php?Genus=Pampus&Species=argenteus#, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31706488

The icon ACPC uses for this fish is so spot-on, like, damn! 

Now, I’m here to talk to you about a sneaky thing this fish did. You’ve heard of invasive species - non-native species that trash their new homes, basically, and it often happens because, y’know, people. Well, what if a told you that animals also take full advantage of our structures to do this, too, no idiots required? Animals will use our bridges, trash, etc. to expand into new territory where they never would have been able to before without that structure. This actually has a very specific name - it’s called Lessepsian Migration. The term can be used to describe any organism’s movement and subsequent invasion of a new area via human structures, but it’s often used to describe the very particular act of marine species moving from the Red Sea (the sliver of ocean between Egypt and the Persian Peninsula) into the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal (yes, the canal that had the boat stuck in it). Yes, species can go the other way, but it’s a lot rarer because of salinity differences and physical oceanography stuff.

The Suez Canal has a lot of history, but it’s extremely important for the flow of goods across the world. For example, ships leaving from Mediterranean countries can reach India and other South-Asian countries much faster, and vice versa through it. The alternative would be to sail all the hell the way around Africa, and despite what it looks like on a map, Africa is LARGE. No one wants to do that. And people apparently aren’t the only ones using the Suez Canal for that very purpose. The Silver Pomfret is one such fish that has expanded its range into the Mediterranean Sea using the canal...and it’s not alone! To date, about 300 Red Sea marine species have staked their claim in the Med Sea.

And there you have! Fascinating stuff, no? 

[mondaymorgue]

Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus sp.) (?) Tanah Merah, 10th April 2016

A bag of fish parts was found on the beach. Further inspection revealed that the contents comprised various parts of Spanish Mackerel. Whether these pieces of fish were purchased at the market, or came from a fish caught in Singapore waters is unknown. It's also not known why these were dumped on the shore, although there is a possibility that these were intended as bait for some other marine creature.

Scombrids of the world

Morphology, systematics, and biology of the Spanish Mackerels (Scomberomorus, Scombridae)

ieatishootipost: Singapore Fish Files: Spanish Mackerel, Spotted King Mackerel and Korean Seerfish

Four species of Spanish Mackerel have been documented in the waters around Singapore and Malaysia, and these remains may represent any of these species:

Indo-Pacific King Mackerel (Scomberomorus guttatus)

Handlinefishing.com

Fish Species of Singapore

FishBase

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Species Fact Sheets

IUCN Red List

The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 6

Western Indian Ocean Fishing Area 51

Narrow-barred Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus commerson)

Handlinefishing.com

Fishes of Andaman Sea

Fishes of Bitung

FishBase

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department Species Fact Sheets

IUCN Red List

The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 6

Western Indian Ocean Fishing Area 51

Korean Seerfish (Scomberomorus koreanus)

FishBase

IUCN Red List

The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 6

Western Indian Ocean Fishing Area 51

Streaked Spanish Mackerel (Scomberomorus lineolatus)

FishBase

IUCN Red List

The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 6

Western Indian Ocean Fishing Area 51

Another possible candidate is the Double-lined Mackerel (Grammatorcynus bilineatus):

Fishes of Andaman Sea

Fishes of Bitung

FishBase

Fishes of Australia

IUCN Red List

The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific Volume 6

Western Indian Ocean Fishing Area 51

[matrose]

shoutout to the fish named scombriformes scombridae scomber scombrus youre giving me a headache

[captainswaglord500]

Circumpolar Fauna of The Late Nyctocene and Solocene

Icejumper (#1)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Clade: Caudata

Order: Urodela

Family: Cryosaltopodidae

Genus: Cryosaltopus

Species: C. borealis (”northern frozen hopping foot”)

Ancestral species: Ambystoma tigrinum (Tiger salamander)

Time period: late Nyctocene to early Solocene (104.5 million years to 115.9 million years in the future).

Information: filling in the ecological niche left by gophers, which died out at the end of the Nyctocene, the Icejumper is a facultative bipedal, herbivorous salamander found across the circumpolar regions of the world. Using their large claws, they dig massive, underground tunnel networks, with at least one tunnel leading to a larger body of water so that they may tend to their eggs or the needs of their larva. Though they remain active throughout the long winter, they are considerably less so than before, due to the fact that they are still technically ectotherms. At only 8 inches, they are not very big, and are predated upon by a variety of predators. Their skin is a bluish-green while their tail and duel cephalic fins and bright green. Said fins can also fold against the body.  Their large eyes are black in color, and help them to see underground and above ground, since they tend to be nocturnal.

Ice-Dagger (#2)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Scombriformes 

Family: Xenoscombridae

Genus: Xenoscomber

Species: X. borealis (”northern strange mackerel”)

Ancestral species: Ruvettus pretiosus (Oilfish)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 112 million years in the future).

Information: a muskellunge-sized predator, the Ice-Dagger is a toothy, predatory fish found in the circumpolar seas. Its scales are a silvery-grey, and it is an ambush predator, lying in wait for extended periods of time until a smaller fish swims by. Then, it lunges up and engulfs it in its toothy maw. It is a close relative to the Reef-Dagger. Not much is known about this animal aside from that.

Polar Sea-Reaper (#3)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Crustacea

Class: Malacostraca

Order: Decapoda

Infraorder: Caridea

Family: Xenocaridae

Genus: Deinocaris

Species: D. cryostracos (”frozen-shelled terrible shrimp”)

Ancestral species: Crangon crangon (Grey shrimp)

Time period: late Nyctocene to early Solocene (97 million years to 115 million years in the future).

Information: at around 10 feet in length, the Polar Sea-Reaper is the smallest member of the Xenocarid family, being half the length of its close relative, the Lesser Sea-Reaper, and a fourth of the length of the Great Sea-Reaper. However, just because it’s smaller, that does not mean it is any less ferocious of a predator. Stalking the circumpolar seas, this animal hunts primarily fish, but it will also attack land animals that enter the water. It hunts primarily at night, hence possessing black armor and red eyes. 

Circumpolar Eel Shark (#4)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Order: Hexanchiformes 

Family: Chlamydoselachidae

Genus: Anguilloselachus

Species: A. cryodon (”frozen-toothed eel-shark”)

Ancestral species: Chlamydoselachus anguineus (Frilled shark)

Time period: early to late Solocene (105 million years to 140 million years in the future).

Information: at around 20 feet in length, the Circumpolar Eel-Shark is much smaller than its close relative, the Giant Eel Shark. As its name would suggest, it is found int he circumpolar seas, where it hunts primarily other fish, but will also propel itself onto land in pursuit of land prey. Its skin is grey, with a yellow streak running down either flank. 

Hornbeak (#5)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Clade: Testudinata

Order: Testudines

Suborder: Cryptodira

Family: Ceratorhynchidae

Genus: Ceratorhynchus

Species: C. iguanodonoides (”iguanodon-like horned beak”)

Ancestral species: Chelydra serpentina (Common snapping turtle)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 115 million years in the future).

Information: a buffalo-sized, shell-less turtle, the Hornbeak is a peculiar animal. Found primarily along the coast of the circumpolar sea, but also having populations further south, the Hornbeak feeds primarily on kelp, and uses its large claws to help break off bits of it for consumption. Its skin is light brown. They are semiaquatic animals, much like hippos, though are much more docile.

Prairie-Gobbler (#6)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Clade: Caudata

Order: Urodela

Family: Rhynchosalamandridae 

Genus: Rhynchosalamandra

Species: R. borealis (”northern beaked salamander”)

Ancestral species: Ichthyosaura alpestris (Alpine newt)

Time period: late Nyctocene to early Solocene (104.9 million years to 113.6 million years in the future).

Information: a ground-dwelling relative of the Tree Salamander, the Prairie-Gobbler is a cat-sized carnivore found across the circumpolar regions of the world. It hunts primarily Icejumpers, but will also go for other prey as well. Its skin and beak are black, allowing it blend with the darkness of night, when it hunts. Truly a bizarre creature...

Slime-Badger (#7)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Clade: Caudata

Order: Urodela

Family: Rhynchosalamandridae

Genus: Rhynchosalamandra

Species: R. xenorhis (”strange-nosed beaked salamander”)

Ancestral species: Ichthyosaura alpestris (Alpine newt)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 118 million years in the future).

Information: as its name would suggest, the Slime-Badger is comparable in size to an American badger. Found in the circumpolar regions of the world, this animal tends to live in close proximity to geothermal springs, and it hunts primarily smaller animals while also scavenging and occasionally supplementing its diet with plant matter. The two prong-like barbels jutting up from its snout are found on in males. The skin of these animals is blue, with yellow fins and prong tips. As to be expected, its large claws help it to dig burrows.

Hammerbeak (#8)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Clade: Testudinata

Order: Testudines

Suborder: Cryptodira

Family: Ceratorhynchidae

Genus: Ceratorhynchus

Species: C. xenos (”strange horned beak”)

Ancestral species: Chelydra serpentina (Common snapping turtle)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 110 million years).

Information: a rather short-lived species, the Hammerbeak is a 12-foot-long, 6-foot-tall herbivorous and shell-less turtle found in the circumpolar regions of the world. It feeds primarily on shrubs and grasses, and its skin is green to help it blend in with said plants. Its most-notable feature is its strangely-shaped beak.

Largemouth Seal (#9)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Suborder: Caniformia

Infraorder: Arctoidea

Clade: Pinnipedia

Family: Phocidae

Genus: Macrodon

Species: M. borealis (”northern large tooth”)

Ancestral species: Cystophora cristata (Hooded seal)

Time period: late Nyctocene to early Solocene (97 million years to 110 million years in the future).

Information: at 13 feet in length, the Largemouth Seal is a decently-large animal. Found in the circumpolar seas, it feeds primarily on fish, though it will also go after land animals as well. Its large, clawed flippers help it to better grip onto the ice when hauling itself onto land. Its fur is brown. They are social animals, living in small family groups.

Saltosuchus (#10)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Order: Crocodilia

Family: Saltosuchidae

Genus: Saltosuchus

Species: S. ceratorhinus (”horn-nosed hopping crocodile”)

Ancestral species: Alligator sinensis (Chinese alligator)

Time period: late Nyctocene to early Solocene (103 million years to 123 million years in the future).

Information: a crocodilian the size of a golden retriever, the Saltosuchus is an agile predator found across the circumpolar regions of the world. It hunts primarily smaller animals, such as Icejumpers and Slime-Badgers, but will also scavenge the remains of larger animals. The horn on its snout is found only in males, hence being a form of sexual dimorphism. Their scales is green in color to blend in with plant matter. It is an expert at navigating across difficult terrain.

Smolderbug (#11)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthopoda

Class: Insecta

Order: Zygentoma

Family: Lepismatidae 

Genus: Pyropus

Species: P. horrificus (”horrifying fire foot”)

Ancestral species: Thermobia domestica (Firebrat)

Time period: late Holocene to ? (1 million years to ? million years in the future [we haven’t been further forward in time beyond 140 million years, but we assume that the Smolderbug lived long past the Solocene]).

Information: having been around for at least 139 million years by the end of the late Solocene, the Smolderbug is perhaps the oldest-living species we’ve discovered in the future, and if our calculations are accurate, the first Smolderbugs may have come into contact with late-surviving humans. Around a foot in length, Smolderbugs are decently-large insects, and tend to live in extremophilic conditions like their ancestor, the Firebrat. It isn’t exclusively found in the circumpolar regions, instead having a worldwide distribution. Unlike firebrats, they are omnivores, feeding on a wide variety of food sources. In the circumpolar regions, some Smolderbugs form symbiotic relationships with Icejumpers, in that, in exchange for shelter, the Smolderbugs will eat the excrements left by Icejumpers, hence helping to prevent the spread of diseases within the colony. Their armor is a speckled brown and grey. 

Ornate Claw-Wing (#12)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Aves

Order: Opisthocomiformes

Suborder: Xenoaves

Family: Xenoavidae

Genus: Onychopteryx 

Species: O. ornatus (”ornate claw-wing”)

Ancestral species: Opisthocomus hoazin (Hoatzin)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 112 million years in the future).

Information: the Ornate Claw-Wing is a forest-dwelling bird found in the circumpolar regions of the world. It is the size of a red-tailed hawk, and feeds on a wide variety of plant matter. Its feathers are red, with wing and tail feather tips that are alternating blue and black, and its beak is a pearly-white color. Like other Xenoavians, the vestigial claws found in baby Hoatzins are now retained into adulthood, and they help it grip onto tree branches.

Axehead Eel (#13)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Superorder: Elopomorpha

Order: Anguilliformes 

Family: Congridae

Genus: Cryoanguilla

Species: C. borealis (”northern frozen eel”)

Ancestral species: Conger conger (European conger)

Time period: late Nyctocene to early Solocene (104 million years to 115 million years in the future).

Information: unusually for a garden eel, the Axehead Eel is bioluminescent, having two large, blue spots on either side of its head. Found in the circumpolar seas, this animal is nocturnal, and hunts primarily other fish. Its skin is a brownish-grey, allowing it to blend in with the rocks on the sea floor. At around 7 feet in length, it is a decent-sized predator. Its most-notable feature is its bizarrely-shaped skull.

[fnfpicks]

Today's #FnFPicks #AnimalOfTheDay is #AtlanticBluefinTuna (#Thunnus thynnus) [aka #GiantBluefinTuna, #Tunny, #NorthernBluefinTuna] #DidYouKnow It relies on constant water flow over their gills in order to obtain oxygen. It can also increase oxygen intake by swimming with the mouth open. ORGANISM CLASSIFICATION: Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Actinopterygii Order: Scombriformes Family: Scombridae Genus: Thunnus Subgenus: Thunnus Species: T. thynnus Please consider sharing the video with someone who'd love these #FunFacts If you want to Suggest Animals for our videos (which is recommended), or have any complaints, please feel free to hit us anywhere over the #FnFPicks Community: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FnFPicks Twitter: https://twitter.com/FnFPicks Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/FnFPicks And don't forget to Subscribe...:-) #StayHome #WithMe #PickOfTheDay #Actinopterygii #Tuna #Fish

[uncharismatic-fauna]

Uncharismatic Fact of the Day

Most fish are cold-blooded, but bluefin tuna are an exception. These fist have a blood vessel system known as a countercurrent exchanger. A mesh of veins and arteries circulate blood near the surface of the fish’s skin; the veins capture heat generated by an individual’s metablism, and the arteries transfer that heat back into the body. The system is not foolproof, and tuna are not wholly warm-blooded, but it does allow them to survive in much colder temperature for much longer than other fish species, and it makes them much more effective hunters.

(Image: A school of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) by Ugo Montaldo)

If you like what I do, consider leaving a tip or buying me a ko-fi!

[haveyouseenthisanimal-irl]

List of Families within Scombriformes I’ve covered (each link leads to the tags for each family):

Scombridae

[heinzduthel]

Japanische Makrele

Japanische Makrele

Japanische Makrelen (Scomber japonicus)

Systematik Barschverwandte (Percomorphaceae) Ordnung: Scombriformes Familie: Makrelen und Thunfische (Scombridae) Unterfamilie: Scombrinae Gattung: Scomber Art: Japanische Makrele Wissenschaftlicher Name Scomber japonicus Houttuyn, 1782

Die Japanische Makrele (Scomber japonicus,…

[fishyfishyfishtimes]

Oh, two wonderful groups of fish! Funnily enough, Scombriformes has some of the fastest fish in the world with the tuna (the yellowfin has been recorded to swim at 74 kph), meanwhile Syngnathiformes quite literally has the slowest fish with the dwarf seahorse clocking in at about 1.5 meters per hour. Scombriformes itself also has great diversity, from the true mackerels that rarely ever exceed half a meter, to the tunas, that... oh.

The world record tuna was nearly 700 kilos, huh!? Tunas, bonitos and mackerels are all ferocious and fast predators, able to keep up high speeds and striking fast in schools. They are valuable parts of the food web as either apex predators or as a food source for bigger animals like whales. Heck! Tunas are even "warm blooded" in the sense that they can retain heat generated by their muscles to keep up their quick speed and reaction time (I do not sadly know if bonitos and mackerels do the same).

Of course, it wouldn't be a fishyfishyfishtimes post if I didn't also defend the Syngnathiformes. I've done a lot of reading on seahorses specifically for fish fact purposes, did you know they're actually some of the most efficient ambush predators in the world? They lack teeth and their jaws are permanently fused into a tube, and yet! See, the seahorses are able to sneak up on tiny crustaceans like copepods or amphipods without disturbing the water current too much to alert them of the seahorses' presence, after which they rapidly draw their head back and suck their prey right in! They are the(?) only fish to have a head and neck that are separately movable from the body, and they lack a stomach! They can also make a clicking noise via the bony crest on their head, it clicks when they move their head up and down repeatedly :D Sadly, I do not know very much on the other members of the order! I need to do some reading...

Taxonomy Tournament: Fish

Scombriformes. This order contains tuna and mackerels.

Syngnathiformes. This order is made up of fish with long narrow bodies, with some groups swimming with their bodies aligned vertically to blend in with seaweed. Examples include the seahorse, trumpet fish, and sea moths.

[haveyouseenthisanimal-irl]

List of Orders within Actinopterygii I’ve covered (each link leads to another post which breaks the order down into families I’ve covered):

Characiformes

Clupeiformes

Holocentriformes

Labriformes

Osteoglossiformes

Perciformes

Scombriformes

Scorpaeniformes

Spariformes

Tetraodontiformes

[captainswaglord500]

Eastern Thalassian Oceanic Fauna

Saber Monkey (#1)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Suborder: Haplorhini

Infraorder: Simiiformes

Family: Cercopithecidae

Tribe: Papionini

Genus: Smilopithecus

Species: S. piscophagus (”fish-eating knife ape”)

Ancestral species: Macaca radiata (Bonnet macaque)

Time period: late Nyctocene to early Solocene (102 million years to 118 million years in the future).

Information: a massive, piscivorous monkey the size of a lion, the Saber Monkey lives across the eastern coast of Thalassia, where it hunts in the shallow seas and estuaries. It uses its long teeth to help grip onto prey, and its hands and feet are webbed to help aid in swimming. Its thick, brown, fur coat is hydrophobic, meaning that water will not adhere to its surface, and it also doubles as protection against the cold. As of so far, we are uncertain of the threat it possesses to humans. Therefore, if approaching this animal, one should take reasonable caution.

Dragonfish (#2)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Siluriformes

Family: Dracoichthyidae

Genus: Dracoichthyes

Species: D. siluroides (”silurus [a genus of catfish]-like dragon fish”)

Ancestral species: Bagarius yarrelli (Goonch)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 120 million years in the future).

Information: a fast-moving oceanic catfish the size of a Great Barracuda, the Dragonfish bares a vague resemblance to the dragons of East Asian folklore. It hunts primarily in open oceans worldwide, and feeds upon primarily other fish. Its skin is dark blue on its back and light blue on its underside to provide camouflage. Armed with a vicious set of sharp teeth, the Dragonfish’s jaws is not something that you’d want to find yourself on the receiving end of. Its large eyes help it to see in the dark.

Vent Worm (#3)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Annelida

Class: Polychaeta 

Subclass: Aciculata

Order: Xenopodia 

Family: Deinoannelidae

Genus: Deinoannelida

Species: D. giganteus (”giant terrible annelid”)

Ancestral species: Alitta virens (Sandworm)

Time period: early to late Solocene (105 million years to 140 million years in the future).

Information: with its chimerical appearance, one would guess upon first glance that the Vent Worm were a creature from another planet. But in fact, it is just as much an earthen being as us. The Vent Worm, despite its name, does not live solely in volcanic vents. In fact, it can be found almost anywhere in the ocean worldwide, from warm, shallow seas to cold, deep trenches. Its name derives from the fact that it was first discovered near volcanic vents. The Vent Worm is a very-large annelid, being nearly 6 feet in length. It predates on a variety of different creatures, including fish and even occasionally stripping pieces of flesh off of live animals. Its skin is a sandy color with its crest and break are grey.

Estuarine Coelacanth (#4)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Sarcopterygii

Subclass: Actinistia 

Order: Coelacanthiformes 

Family: Microcoelacanthidae

Genus: Microcoelacanthus

Species: M. orientalis (”eastern small hollow spine”)

Ancestral species: Latimeria menadoensis (Indonesian coelacanth)

Time period: late Lithocene to early Solocene (65 million years to 110 million years in the future).

Information: at only around a foot in length, the Estuarine Coelacanth is a fairly-small creature. Its scales a light blue color, allowing it to blend in with the surrounding water. It feeds primarily off of aquatic plants, but will also eat worms it can find in the sediment. Though it is low on the food chain, a special chemical in its flesh prevents most predators from wanting to eat it, as its flesh tastes notoriously-bad. It is found across much of Thalassia’s coast.

Cormorant Turtle (#5)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Reptilia

Clade: Testudinata

Order: Testudines

Suborder: Cryptodira

Family: Ornithochelidae

Genus: Ornithochelys

Species: O. coelosteus (”hollow-boned bird-turtle”)

Ancestral species: Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator snapping turtle)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 115 million years in the future).

Information: a massive turtle the size of a bottlenose dolphin, the Cormorant Turtle is a semiaquatic hunter found along the coast of eastern Thalassia and western Occidensia. It feeds primarily of fish, and is notable amongst turtles for the fact that its shells is now vestigial, taking the form of armor plating on its back and underside. Their skin is green to blend in in the kelp forests where they predominantly hunt. Its aerodynamic body allows it to travel at fast speeds, and its clawed hind legs are for helping it move on land.

Bat Seal (#6)   

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Suborder: Caniformia

Infraorder: Arctoidea

Clade: Pinnipedia

Superfamily: Otarioidea

Family: Aeropinnipedidae

Genus: Aeropinnepedia

Species: A. chiropterygoides (”bat-like air seal”)

Ancestral species: Neophoca cinerea (Australian sea lion)

Time period: early to late Solocene (105 million years to 140 million years in the future).

Information: the Bat-Seal is a very-interesting case of convergent evolution. As its name would suggest, though it morphologically looks like a bat, it is, in fact, a seal that has evolved to live a life in the air, even going so far as to re-evolve hind legs with digits. The Bat-Seal is comparable in size of a wolf, and is a cathemeral piscivore, predating on a wide variety of fish. Its brown fur is hydrophobic, hence allowing it to dive into the water if necessary. Its eyesight is exceptional, and it is particularly attracted to shiny objects, which it perceives as its prey. Its threat level to humans seems to be low, and they show a kind-of friendly curiosity around people. They live along several coastal regions worldwide.

Sea Parrot (#7)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Superclass: Osteichthyes

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Perciformes 

Suborder: Labroidei

Family: Labridae

Genus: Psittacoichthyes

Species: P. fatalis (”deadly parrotfish”)

Ancestral species: Chlorurus sordidus (Daisy parrotfish)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 115 million years in the future).

Information: the Sea-Parrot is peculiar for a parrotfish in that it is actually a carnivore. An ornately-colored carnivore. At around the size of a small dog, the Sea-Parrot is a formidable predator of smaller fish, in particular the Estuarine Coelacanth. It lives across many tropical and subtropical oceans of the world, and can occasionally be found wandering into more-temperate waters, where its bright green and blue scales make it stand out a lot from the local oceanic fauna. Its threat level is low to humans, and they, in fact, seem very-skittish around humans. 

Whale Monkey (#8)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Primates

Suborder: Haplorhini

Infraorder: Simiiformes

Family: Hydropithecidae

Genus: Hydropithecus

Species: H. cetops (”whale-faced water ape”)

Ancestral species: Papio anubis (Olive baboon)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 120 million years in the future).

Information: bearing a vague resemblance to the Ambulocetus of an era long past, the Whale Monkey is a lion-sized semiaquatic hunter found across much of Thalassia’s coast. It is a crafty and intelligent primate, and can make tools, though it rarely needs them. The Whale Monkey is an omnivore, and feeds off of a variety of plant matter and animals. They are social animals, and tend to live in small troops of around 10 other individuals. Their fur is brown and hydrophobic. Like primates from our own timeline, they are very playful and inquisitive towards humans, and will actively approach them. This may perhaps one of the most-bizarre creatures we’ve encountered so far...

Emperor Seal (#9)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Carnivora

Suborder: Caniformia

Infraorder: Arctoidea

Clade: Pinnipedia

Family: Phocidae

Genus: Suchocetus

Species: S. imperator (”emperor crocodile-whale”)

Ancestral species: Phoca vitulina (Harbor seal)

Time period: early to late Solocene (105 million years to 140 million years in the future).

Information: At 20 feet in length and fully aquatic, the Emperor Seal bears a vague resemblance to pliosaurs. Likewise, it fills a similar ecological role. Stalking the seas around Thalassia, the Emperor Seal hunts a variety of other animals, both big and small. Its fur is brown with grey spots, and concealed in its jaws are a large set of canines, which allow it to grip onto its prey and tear it apart. But even this massive animal has predators. It is predated upon by both the Great Sea-Reaper and the Giant Eel Shark alike, and therefore, its smaller size compared to both make it vulnerable. Luckily, it can also use this to its advantage, as this allows it to retreat to the shallows if necessary.

Coral Shark (#10)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Subclass: Elasmobranchii

Infraclass: Euselachii

Superorder: Selachimorpha

Order: Squaliformes

Family: Squalidae 

Genus: Microcarcharus

Species: M. orientalis (”eastern small shark”)

Ancestral species: Squalus acanthias (Spiny dogfish)

Time period: early to mid Solocene (105 million years to 125 million years in the future)

Information: the Coral Shark, at only 2 feet long, is a fairly-small animal. Feeding on a variety of smaller fish, particularly Kittenfish, the Coral Shark lives primarily in tropical reefs worldwide, hence its name, but can be found in subtropical and even temperate regions. Its skin is a greyish-white color, and it is a fairly-skittish animal.

Reef Dagger (#11)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Order: Scombriformes 

Family: Xenoscombridae

Genus: Pseudoanguilla

Species: P. ferox (”fierce false eel”)

Ancestral species: Ruvettus pretiosus (Oilfish)

Time period: early Solocene (105 million years to 117 million years in the future).

Information: at around 3 feet in length with 4-inch-long tusk-like teeth, the Reef Dagger is a force to be reckoned with. Living along much of Thalassia coast, this mottled green-and-brown predator hunts by ambushing, waiting silently on algae-covered rocks for smaller to approach before jolting up and engulfing them in its maw. It is a fairly slow-swimming animal, and hence uses its fins to “walk” on the seafloor. Certainly not something you want to accidentally step on...

Reef Shark (#12)

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Chondrichthyes

Subclass: Elasmobranchii

Infraclass: Euselachii

Superorder: Selachimorpha 

Order: Heterodontiformes

Family: Sinocarcharidae

Genus: Sinocarcharus

Species: S. macrops (”large-eyed Chinese shark”)

Ancestral species: Heterodontus portusjacksoni (Port Jackson shark)

Time period: early to late Solocene (105 million years to 140 million years in the future).

Information: the Reef Shark is fairly-small, being only about 4 feet long. It lives along the coasts of eastern Thalassia and feeds predominantly on smaller fish. its skin is brown with black spots on its back.It is primarily nocturnal, hence its large eyes. They are skittish animals, being easily scared off by larger animals.