#haven't drawn in a while so this was a fun warmup between seminars

[aeriona]

hello chat, i have provided Fish Lore for this fine evening

Salmonids are a kind of fish in the Mollusc Era, and they differ radically from inkfish both physiologically and culturally. For example, they have an entirely different gender system, compared to the average cephalopod's nonexistent one!

Most Salmonid cultures have two primary genders, which for now I've dubbed as "Silver" and "Red". All salmon are born Silver, with the males turning into Reds (and only for the breeding season, after which they will become Silvers again). Females stay Silver for their whole lives.

The males' regular fluctuation in colour is reflected in how they are referred to, with distinct sets of pronouns and honourifics for the two colours they may be. This differs from inkfish in the sense that they typically don't have gendered language at all in their languages.

Using this logic on the in-game models, it becomes clear that almost all boss salmonid classes are Silvers, with exceptions being the Maws*, Flyfish and Fish Stick operators (the latter are too young to have their breeding colours).

The only other difference between the sexes is an egg pouch in females, the opening of which connects to the underside of the jaw inside the mouth. They use this to carry Golden Eggs.

Upon a Boss Salmonid’s death, the eggs are usually forcefully ejected from the mouth, an adaptation to prevent suffocation of the eggs from within the mother’s body. This is why golden eggs seem to "burst" from the bodies of Boss Salmonids when they are killed.

*Since Maws are male and do not have throat pouches, they keep their golden eggs inside bags and/or satchels. Flyfish and Fish Stick drivers store their eggs in the machinery they operate as they are far too small to carry them themselves. 

oh, and here's a little bonus for making it this far:

smallfry. the dubious creature. they're about the size of a small dog.

And finally, here's an older post where i also talk about Salmonid Lore (warning, disgusting moldy old art)