#scientific asexual reproduction

[r-i-o0]

As a non-professional paleontologist, I agree with this. This is real.

- A dinosaur autistic

(ACTUAL RANT IN THE TAGS BARE WITH ME)

Okay so like we’re all away that queerness is everywhere in nature right? Like every animal has some form of queer relationships formed within the species? Okay cool now hear me out

Gay dinosaurs

Like I’m not a palaeontologist by any means (can’t even spell the word apparently) and I’m not entirely sure if we’ll ever be able to fully understand dinosaur behaviours, but since queerness is so prevalent in nature in the modern day, surely it goes back far enough to the dinosaurs right?

T-Rex? Gay.

Stegosaurus? Bisexual.

Triceratops? Lesbian.

Raptor? Asexual.

You see you understand you get me

[space-emperor]

It’s kind of funny to me that the Djesh started as an afterthought/side joke that didn’t feature largely in the plot but have absolutely become the most interesting part of the story to me.

They’re big old parasitic xenomorph-lookin space bug women, right? They do not have a binary sex—only a select few choose to metamorpihize into a reproductively mature imago, while the others remain infertile neonates for their entire lives. Functionally they are all hermaphroditic and can reproduce sexually or asexually depending on environmental pressures. But also: they’re all women. As far as they’re concerned, so is everyone else.

Their closest concept to gender is relational:

A mother is anyone who creates with her body. This could be a literal gestational mother who lays eggs, fertilizes, or gives birth, but it can also mean a creature or person serving as host to the parasitic larvae. A mother in this sense is typically a final, fatal role immediately preceding death.

The Djesh do not distinguish between “mother” and “aunt” but for translation purposes it’s easier to explain with different terms. An aunt is a type of parent who participates in the rearing of young. If a mother or host survives and helps to raise a child, it counts as an aunt-parent. An aunt’s role is to teach and protect and to transmit stories from one generation to the next. An ideal Djesh family consists of many aunts raising young communally—possibly dozens. A family with too few aunts is considered deeply taboo in a way that’s comparable to incest. A Djesh encountering a two-parent nuclear human family for the first time would be horrified and disturbed and have trouble accepting that an intelligent species would reproduce like animals.

A sister is any independent adult who is not actively occupying a parental role. An aunt will revert to sister when her young reach adulthood. An aunt who abandons her role before then is committing a grave taboo—if a Djesh encounters a human who has been deployed on a military or scientific endeavor and left children at home, she will be repulsed and disturbed and potentially hostile.

A daughter is anyone, specifically a child, dependent upon a caregiver. I haven’t made up my mind yet on how this intersects with Djesh conceptions of disability but it’s something I may want to explore.

A Djesh will continue to molt and grow indefinitely. It’s possible that they have the technical capacity for immortality, with no set upper limit. They can regenerate limbs with each molt of their skeletons. As they age, however, the time between each molt grows longer, and the process becomes more difficult and perilous. Because this molting process functions as the only natural limitation on lifespan, there is a taboo against interfering. To succumb to the temptation to help a loved one with a bad molt that would otherwise kill them is to curse them and is a kind of spiritual betrayal… it’s very evil and very, very romantic. The idea of it is horrifying and tragic but they also eat that shit up like it’s Shakespeare.

Most importantly, of course, the Djesh are biologically dependent upon stories. They cannot be Djesh without them. You could incubate and hatch a Djesh egg in a laboratory and provide the larva with all the nutrients it required, but unless you (and, ideally, your entire team) spent time constantly telling it stories, it would never grow into a Djesh. It would survive, sure, but it would take the form of a weird gelatinous animal. This is why Djesh familial units consist of many aunts: the stories and narratives they pass on give Djesh children physical form and act as genetic information more substantially than whatever they inherit biologically. The more stories, the more diverse and robust their DNA-analogue. This is why most Djesh remain neonates and die infertile—they are able to reproduce more effectively by passing down stories than by producing/fertilizing eggs.

Turantirok is sometimes described as the Djesh “religion”. And it is, but only sort of—different populations may have different mythologies and beliefs, but turantirok is better defined as the cosmic force that drives narrative. To other species, Djesh may seem to behave erratically and seemingly act against their own interests. Even those few who manage to get around the language barrier struggle to understand the Djesh, and they are broadly regarded by other species as dangerously insane. In reality, Djesh have an innate instinct for turantirok—they will act according to whatever they believe best furthers a cosmic narrative, up to and including self-destruction. This was an evolutionary adaptation to pass on better stories to their descendants, but now that their planet is incorporated into a galactic civilization, turantirok may be an existential threat.

[kiame-sama]

you know how it’s kind of seen as a failure for a woman not to be able to make children? at least in a lot of cultures, including mine. do you think the monster boys will care if reader physically could not conceive? not to get into specifics but i actively avoid telling people because i have been shamed and told that my future husband will be disappointed with me or to warn any future man i date because he deserves to know incase he wants to be with a woman who can fulfill her role.

Most of the boys won't be heartbroken over it and some may even try to find a work-around if their Human is comfortable with it. Such work arounds include adoption- as many still want to raise young with their Human- or even using magically advanced treatments to make an infant with their Human.

Lilia will be one of the first to suggest adoption and will likely hop right into adoption when he learns that his Human can't conceive. Raising a child together would be enough for him as he has already taken in several children to raise in the past. Certainly wouldn't make him love his Human any less regardless of if they can bear him children or not. He just wants to be a team with his Human to raise a child, as all his children thus far have not been related to him by blood.

Idia will be the first to suggest making an artificial womb and taking bone marrow to literally make a child that is a combination of genetics. He enjoys being given something to work on and he will happily do so to make his own young with his Human. Infertility isn't a deal breaker to the Shinigami, it is a new project to work on and something he can help his Human through.

The species that can implant others with eggs will also be considering using their own reproductive abilities and magic to make a child. It isn't an uncommon practice in Twisted Wonderland as some species have trouble conceiving together without magical and scientific aid (Driders and Centaurs have this trouble quite often). Besides, for most it really isn't an issue to have kids or not.

Leona may be a bit relieved as he isn't fond of children and though he would only consider cubs of his own with his Human, he is the second born and has no obligation to actually have children at any point in his life. If his Mousey really want a cub to raise with him, he can always kidnap Cheka and let them raise his brother's cub. Falena will be angry Leona took Cheka, but for appearances he wouldn't dare take the cub back from the Human especially if they wanted the cub to raise. The positive impact it would have socially for Sunset Savana would be worth letting the Human and Leona raise the cub instead.

In the case of Malleus, some dragons have been able to asexually reproduce and he will go out of his way to ensure he has a Draconic babe to raise with his Human mate. He is quite alright that his Human can't have young, so he will have the young for them. Either way, he is getting an Heir for Briar Valley and keeping his Human mate.

In the case of the Nymphs and elementals, they don't need a fertile mate to produce offspring that have traits of both parents. It is an elemental core that they form with magic and a combination of DNA from both intended parents. All they need from you is your blood or hair and they can typically form the element cores themselves. Nymphs and elementals are truly constructed and given life by magic and their elements, they will do the same to create young.

[screamingcrows]

Snezhnaya's most controversial scientific publication

Tags/warnings: nsfw in the way a national geographic documentary is, absolute crack, segment incest, near noncon, non graphic violence mention, implied cannibalism

Note: I feel like an absolute mad lad. Please read the appendix as well guys.

Minors do not interact

"The Jester requested that I make public some of my research to dismiss concerns among the populace - a ridiculous demand."

"But, Doctor, we can't just.. Do we even have anything that wouldn't be dangerous?"

What was The Jester thinking? To make such a demand during an already busy period.

Dottore waved a dismissive hand, clearly having to restrain himself from letting further venom into his words, "We do not. Which is why you are relieved of your duties for the next week. Figure something out. I don't care about the contents, make it harmless and get it published."

You blinked at him, well aware that you must look like a fish struggling to breathe. With a tight jaw, you lowered your head in acceptance, already mourning all the extra hours you'd have to put in to catch up next week.

Well. If he doesn't care, why not make it interesting? As The Regrator said; sex sells.

Courtship and mating behaviours observed in Duplicare Dottorensis

Note that full taxonomic classification remains unclear as the class this species belongs to remains a heated topic for debate. The scientific community is in agreeance that the species belongs to one of the classes within the phylum 'chordata'.

Though asexual reproduction is speculated to occur most frequently - the exact process has yet to be observed, but bears some resemblance to that of some single celled organisms - fully matured individuals have been seen partaking in behaviour interpreted as courting.

As this species is rumored to exhibit an unrivalled level of variety in the strategies they employ to secure a mate, this study aimed to monitor a population and document every observed strategy. By doing so, the authors hope to quell the countless rumors currently circulating and causing unrest.

By employing a variety of techniques including, but not limited to; usage of subdetection units, combing through historical records, eye-witness accounts, and catching and marking select individuals, this document attempts to provide a detailed account of behavior associated with sexual reproduction.

Pacify with food

A younger segment, around the age at which The Doctor was still a student (~20), was watched closely for three days after exhibiting a strange shift in behavior. During feeding time, he would sneak off to the kitchens and, while staff was unaware, pocket scraps and spares of various foods. Strangely enough, he seemed to gravitate towards dishes that wouldn't require utensils, but instead take a bit of time to prepare and eat (various fruits that would have to first be peeled seemed to be a preference, although desserts also held his interest).

On the third day, he spent nearly two hours trying to wrap the bounty up neatly, cursing the entire time. Once satisfied with the - in our opinion rather crude - wrapping, he singled out Prime's partner going about their routine and approached carefully. Once he was within range and had their attention, he placed down the 'gift' and gave it a little kick before backing off. While they were opening it, he continued to hover around them, preferring to stay behind while continuously checking how far with unwrapping they were.

When he finally gained the courage to shorten the distance, the gift was fully unwrapped and inspected, yet they made no move to start eating. This seemed to cause the young individual a great amount of discomfort as he promptly turned and fled the room. (1)

Non-violent display of physical prowess

Another, slightly older (~25), segment exhibits drastically increased confidence compared to the younger version. By employing bribery and coercion, this version (believed to have been created to emulate the mindset of The Doctor shortly after attaining his title) recruited several other segments, all younger than himself, and spent about a week putting them through rigorous training.

This took place in a secluded room, often during the late evening or at night, and would go on for about two hours per session. We were lucky enough to have already installed a surveillance device in this room, meaning we had access to large amounts of video material (send an inquiry to The Doctor if you wish to gain access).

The segment of interest would instruct the younger ones to accompany him in an elaborate routine with his weapon, seemingly having them act as 'backing' to further highlight his superiority. The youngest of the group would be seated atop a table and simply observe, possibly standing in for the role of a prospective mate. (2)

Rough displays of physical prowess

As it quickly turned out, the above display is only utilised by a minority of the segments at that age. By far, the most frequently observed behaviour among segments of The Doctor's early days as a harbinger would be attempting to establish dominance.

While segments frequently engage in discussions and even loud arguments, these had a tendency to derail - sometimes to the point of violence - in the presence of Prime's partner.

During our period of monitoring, a total of 27 heated arguments took place in the presence of Prime's partner with all of them devolving to personal insults, 15 to minor acts of violence, and two of them escalating to the point of both segments being deactivated temporarily to undergo repairs. (3)

Occasionally, older segments were prone to display this behavior as well, but preferred to argue with Prime instead of fellow segments. This made for an interesting discovery, as younger segments would use these periods of distraction to attempt sneakily approaching Prime's partner. By keeping an eye on the argument taking place, the younger segments could time their attempted courtship and escape before neither Prime nor the older segment could discover what was happening. (4)

The impersonal approach

While only a single segment was observed to display this behaviour, it was still deemed essential to include due to the objective of this paper as well as the particular segment's relative importance.

The Omega segment, recognised as the most arrogant segment (and seeing himself as superior to the rest, the bastard) took a much more subdued approach to courting Prime's partner. During the daytime, Omega let himself into Prime's quarters - the author managed to sneak in behind him - and searched around for a brief moment.

Once he'd located a drawer of interest, Omega proceeded to rid himself of the lower half of his outfit, revealing (to the author's surprise) what appeared to be a fully functioning reproductive organ. Even more surprising were the subsequent actions, as Omega then detached this part, gave it a quick rinse, and placed it in the drawer.

Looking awfully satisfied with himself, the segment left Prime's quarters. The content of the drawer were confirmed to be a selection of toys. (5)

The unapologetic approach

Interestingly, segments older than Omega displayed the same levels of detachment from the copulation itself, but adopted a more direct approach to guarantee their succes.

This culminated in a confrontation when a segment assessed as middle-aged brought Prime's partner into the vivisection room. The segment in question had been observed tinkering with a vial of milky fluid and a device for automated injection, likely its own design.

Upon leading Prime's partner inside, the usually mild-tempered segment proceeded to forcefully restrain the other, strapping them down on the table. (At this point, the author was following events closely and alerted Prime).

The segment stripped Prime's partner and proceeded to carefully disinfect their abdomen while seemingly debating if a sedative was necessary. Upon picking up the delivery for injection and letting the sharp tip rest against their skin, the segment was interrupted by Prime breaking open the door.

Though no harm came to his partner, the segment received a rough scolding and was promptly sent to Liyue to check on a minor operation there. (6)

Minimal risk approach

The most baffling display was, by far, the strategy employed by some of the older segments. At first, their behaviour was written off as irrelevant to this study, but a chance discovery unveiled their cunning scheme.

During or after the fights between younger segments, described earlier, these segments would single out ones that looked interested in joining the fight but hadn't, or approach the loser afterwards. Under a false guise of kindness, they would then offer to teach the younger segment how to approach Prime's partner, claiming that they themselves "weren't interested, but sees no reason to not help".

This would in nearly all instances end in some form of sexual activity during which the older segment would discreetly tinker with the other segment's leyline connection. To figure out the purpose of this, one of the older segments were approached and questioned on the topic.

Apparently, the process finetunes the connection between the two segments, allowing for a period of time where they can - if they've discovered how to access it - feel on their own body what happens to the other. This usually lasts around a week, and the older segment will then sit back and simply wait. If the younger segment manages to engage in mating with Prime's partner, the older segment will be able to feel every part of the pleasure, while risking none of the repercussions of being discovered by Prime. (7)

Long term investment

Though initially outside the scope of this study, it was impossible to avoid observing Prime himself interacting with his partner. As such, it was decided that his behaviour would serve as an interesting reference, as he is the sum over time of the segments.

Prime is, perhaps unsurprisingly, much more relaxed about courting his partner, likely because he does not feel threatened by the segments. Still, it was noted that Prime would at times discard his work to enter his private workspace. Upon leaving, he would head straight for their shared quarters before returning to his scheduled work again.

When questioned, his partner immediately realised what I was referring to and invited me into their quarters (stating that they found it humorous to include Prime in this). Upon entry, they began showing off various gadgets, drawings, and trinkets, some of them elaborate and others of a simpler nature, stating that they could hardly mention any contraption that would make their life easier without Prime returning with it a few days later.

They also showed decorative pieces made by Prime as well as a few pieces of jewellery, explaining that his hands were always busy with something, and that often resulted in little gifts. Interestingly, the vast majority of these gifts wouldn't be announced by him, but simply placed where his partner would notice, and when questioned, he usually just shrugs. (8)

Conclusion

Though many different strategies for courting were observed, it still remains unclear if they are constrained to different ages. Setting up such experiments would be the next logical step.

If this is representative of how Prime courted at different stages of his life, then the author would love to know how on Teyvat he managed to land a partner???

Declaration of conflict of interest

The author of this paper is employed by The Doctor but ensures he had no influence on data collection, analysis, or writing. Furthermore, the author is aware of their bias regarding segment Omega (take the credit for my findings one more time, and I'll break that artificial dick of yours).

Appendix

(1) In many species of arachnids, the male risks being cannibalised when approaching a female to mate. For this reason, he brings a nupital gift, most often consisting of food in hopes of distracting the female while he mounts her. Some males will stuff their woven packages with not only food, but inedible scraps as well, to increase the size. There are examples (Latrodectus hasselti) where the male will willingly wriggle in front of the female to tempt her into eating him. This supposedly increases his paternity compared to males that don't sacrifice themselves. (2) The blue manakin (Chiroxiphia caudata) performs a courtship dance for the female. The male is backed by several younger males (they jump over each other on branches while moving sideways) and does various movements to display his health. The dance ends with the male swooping over to the female where he waits for her decision. The birds spend a good amount of time on practice, and will have a young male stand in for a female during these trial runs. It's incredibly fun to watch videos of. (3) Members of the Cervidae (deer) family have bucks going through ruts, during which they become increasingly aggressive. While fighting over females, the bucks will occasionally get their antlers stuck - either in its surroundings or tangled with another buck's antlers - in cases where the buck is unable to free themselves, they may starve. (4) Mirounga spp. (elephant seals) employ 'sneaky' behaviour during breeding seasons. An alpha male will establish a territory to protect and lure females in to establish a harem. Smaller beta males will often wander around along the edges of these territories and observe the alpha. A beta male might attempt to fight the alpha for the rights to the territory, and during this time, younger males might sneak past the two fighting to mate. The beta male will also sometimes wait for the alpha to be busy copulating and then try his luck in the other end of the territory. (5) Argonauta spp. (paper nautili, a genus of octupuses) has a funky way of mating. Males are around a tenth of the size of a female and only capable of mating once in their life. They approach the female, inserting a specialised arm (hectocotylus) into the female (the pallial cavity) and then proceeds to detach the arm from his own body. Fun facts; when the hectocotylus was originally observed in females, it was assumed to be a parasitic worm. Live males have yet to be observed in the wild. (6) Some beetles, such as the Hydrophilidae family (water scavenger beetles) will mount a female and pierce her abdomen with his reproductive organ. In this particular family of beetles, the female must consent and lower herself, but that is not the case for all beetles. (7) Drakaea glyptodon, along with many other orchids, have developed a distinct leaf known as the 'labellum' (commonly called the 'lip') to better attract pollinators. This labellum is specifically modified to resemble females of the orchid's selected pollinator (in this case a species of thynid wasp). Most orchids have few or just a single pollinator (there's a cool example of an orchid whose pollinator is extinct and we only know it from the shape of the labellum, the plant is Ophrys apifera has since developed self-pollination but retains the labellum). Once an insect has been lured to attempt mating with the labellum and thus lands on the orchid, some pollen will be slapped onto it and it then carries that pollen along to the next orchid that tricks it into landing. (8) Members of the family Ptilonorhynchidae (bowerbirds) construct elaborate structures to impress a female. These bowers will also be decorated using a plethora of items, all of them carefully selected based on colour preference of the individual species. Items typically include fruits, stones, shells, flowers, and feathers. Some species have also been observed to place these items in a way that essentially creates an optical illusion, making the male and his crafted bower appear larger and more impressive.

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish of the day is the whitespotted bamboo shark!

The whitespotted bamboo shark, known by scientific name Chiloscyllium plagiosum is an average carpet shark. With a range across the Indo-Pacific ocean, from Japan to India living in and around coral reefs, close to the shore. They can stretch as far as the coast of madagascar, but most populations are focused around Southeastern Asia at depths from 0-50 meters deep. The coloration of the whitespotted bamboo shark is unique among carpet sharks, and other sharks in the area making it easy to identify when found. Like other carpet sharks, this shark contains 5 gills, and 2 distinct dorsal fins, allowing a wider range of movement.

The diet of the whitespotted bamboo shark consists of small fish and nearby invertebrates, they have only about 30 teeth of the upper and lower sections of their jaw, but the teeth are small and skilled at grasping and crushing. Softer prey is grabbed by the teeth, biting in to prevent escape, however harder prey, such as crabs or other crustaceans, are grabbed with a different method. To prevent damage to teeth tips, the shark can pivot their teeth backwards, and grab hard shelled prey with this flattened surface, crushing down on them. This diet can support them getting as a large as a meter, with the largest recorded getting up to 37 inches.

Like many other carpet sharks, the whitespotted bamboo shark is egg laying. A single laying will contain anywhere between 2-6 eggs, which will then spend between 14-15 weeks hidden on the sea bed before hatching. However in an aquarium in Detroit in 2002 had a female whitespotted bamboo shark that had eggs despite not being anywhere near a male within 6 years. These eggs went on to hatch and produce healthy offspring. Although, we are currently unsure, the more popular theories being that: this species of shark contains both female and male genitalia, this shark can store sperm for longer than initially thought, or that this species may be able to complete a process called parthenogenesis, which is a kind of asexual reproduction.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!

[beautifulterriblequeen]

so, the guy in the ace flag colors

(ace flag made with colors picked from Aaravos turnaround model)

✨Reproduces through asexual reproduction✨

Aaravos really be out here spawning the caterpillar from his own mouth like he's budding, huh.

mlem mlem plop

Step 1: spit out a bug Step 2: bug receives primal radiation to begin growth Step 3: pod Step 4: open pod

Leaves me to wonder, from a scientific perspective: if Sir Sparklepuff is indeed a clone/bud of Aaravos, maybe Sir Sparklepuff actually has Aaravos's true form. Ahaha, god that would be wild.

(But don't you think it's a little sus that these godlike beings just so happen to look exactly like elves, even though they're thousands of years older? I do. I don't trust that beauty. Something's up. Maybe it's benign, or some kind of "become an aspect of what you're worshipped for" or something. But if you could bend reality then why would you keep looking like elves 24/7? And you know I'm asking seriously because I'd be an elf for like 2479 years first before I tried any other shape. So: if god, why elf?)

Anyway, this asexual reproduction is the funniest thing in the whole show to me. Aaravos is the sluttiest slut who ever slutted, but he doesn't understand sex at all... unless he does, but with his Startouch brain, sex is just the same as everything else.

Which is extremely, extremely asexual of him.

Y'all can pry genius idiot asexual Aaravos from my cold dead hands. I'm keeping him forever.

[icarus-last-fall]

okay so wrong fandom, wrong character, wrong everything but

asexual Newt Scamander

it just makes so much sense in my head, he’s ace but at first he doesn’t know it cause like he’s the type to learn how babies are made just because of magical creatures and he has a very scientific vision of it like it’s just a way of reproduction and he figures everyone feels like that and then one day queenie reads his mind and talks to him about this and he learns that a majority of people actually enjoy sex and the idea of it and oh he’s asexual

I hope this makes sense somehow

[s0ull3ss-p3rs0n]

[Oni and Oni hybrid au things/headcanons that only make sense to me]

(This will talk about genitalia, reproducing, childbirth and breastfeeding, but only in a scientific way, also this is nothing more than a beta version of the headcanons because everything sounds better in my head)

First, baseline Oni headcanons:

The Oni usually range from 6'6 to 7'2ft (198-220cm)

They have fur that stores their sweat as a natural coolant in hotter temperatures and keeps them warm in colder temperatures.

Their body temperature is usually very warm, to the point you can be near one and feel it without touching them.

The Dragoni language does not have pronouns so the Oni do not have perception of gender.

Gentle biting is a love language, also they purr.

Now to the reproduction side:

The Oni have humanoid genitals, but they have both sexes instead of one, exceptions are extremely rare.

The Oni also lay eggs for whatever reason.

Due to having both genitals, either one can choose to be the one to lay the eggs, however their preference is.

Heat cycles 2 times a year, usually with partners their bond can align the heat cycles to approximately match.

Due to having both reproductive genitals, they can also reproduce asexually, but often refrain from doing so, as the child will have a significantly shorter lifespan compared to normal.

The Oni cannot be classified as mammals, because they do not produce milk, their chests are all flat.

And now to the babies:

The Oni have a strong maternal instinct and would never hurt a baby/child of any species and are very protective of any child they find.

This also means that if an Oni's baby dies, they can mourn for a long time, possibly even years.

The egg develops inside the Oni for a few weeks and then after the egg is laid, it takes 10 months for it to hatch.

After the baby hatches from the egg, one of the parents uses their claws to crack the eggshell into small pieces and feeds those small pieces to the baby, due to the eggshell's nutrients being similar to human breastmilk.

The babies could easily be mistaken for kittens, if it wasn't for the tail.

Now to the hybrids and how they work:

An Oni hybrid baby can look more or less Oni depending on whether they were born from an Oni egg or from the other parent.

If born from an Oni egg, they're usually more Oni physically, if born from the other parent, the baby looks more that species, some exceptions do exist.

With the exceptions, it might be harder to get them to survive the first days, as their mouths may be too weak to consume Oni egg shards, or, if the other parent is a human, their teeth might hurt the parent too much for them to breastfeed.

The Oni egg problem can be solved by crushing the eggshell into powder and adding water, making it similar to baby formula.

The breastfeeding problem can be solved by simply either feeding the child baby formula or through bottled milk.

(I'm gonna make a pt2 someday with more info about the hybrids and how shit their lives often end up being, also this is just barely disguised omegaverse isn't it)

[lonely-paracosmos]

Scientific reason eggs appear randomly in spinch and why the the comets HAVE SO MANY DAMNED KIDS

(This is a messy uncanon blurb, since God is in fact real on spinch LOL, take this with a grain of salt.

Messy blurb under read more, talks of sex and sexual reproduction

Anthries reproduce closer to plants such as ferns. After puberty each anthry starts producing asexually, they produce these sexual reproducing amoeba.

The amoeba die very quickly and have a low chance of reproduction, which is why casual hang outs you aren't gonna have babies.

Long time partners have an increase chance of making children. (Friend, fwb, partners, qprs, etc)

Anthry sex creates more strong amoeba and encourages more sexual reproduction within amoeba.

Take Doolly, the first born. In the hospital due to the amoeba being very weak they die of everything, which is the real reason why no one has kids in the hospital.

Anyways when Doom and Polly are in a safer environment, spend a lot of time together, and even get intimate. The amoeba mate more often.

Finally one of the amoeba lay a fertilized egg and lay it in a warm place. (Let's say a bundle of blankets) they are microscopic at first but grow rapidly. Which is why eggs seem to appear out of nowhere.

Also to prevent inbreeding, amoeba that reproduce with related amoeba almost never succeed bc the egg is too weak to sustain life.

Amoeba usually can tell there related and avoid each other anyways.

What I'm saying is Doom has the most kids bc he's fucking the most and spends the most time with all of his partners.

[ksfoxwald]

So I'm reading "Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity" by Bruce Bagemihl.

And it's from 1999 so half of it is "yes for real homosexuality is found in nature, plz no discriminate :(" But then I got to the chapter on "Nonreproductive and Alternative Sexualities in Animals" and

Vitually every animal population includes nonbreeding individuals. There is a tendency to regard the urge to procreate among animals as instinctual, all-pervasive, and unstoppable. While heterosexual interactions often do have that quality, there are just as many examples of animals who do not reproduce: individuals who actively remove themselves from the breeding cycle...

and

Why do animals not reproduce? Biologists have coined the term reproductive suppression to refer to various forms of nonbreeding, implying that all animals would breed if they could but are somehow "prevented" from doing so. However, the underlying mechanisms involved in nonbreeding are far more complex than this name implies...animals are often "voluntary" nonbreeders...

And listen. Listen. There's another quote that I thought was referenced somwhere in this book (cannot for the life of me find which page it is on though) that's like "when animals do something we like, it's natural, and when they do something we don't like, it's animalistic." We don't need to "prove" that asexuality is biological in nature in order for asexual people to deserve rights and respects. We've gone through this dance with homosexuality and transgenderism.

But a human being is an animal, and studying other animals shapes our understanding of what it means to be one kind of animal among many. And the idea that an individual's purpose is to reproduce is pretty capitalistic, if you think about it.

The other half of this book is a list of which animals have documented homosexual behaviors, and a description of those behaviors, and even though a lot of it is "X percent of males were observed doing Y behavior, X percent of interactions were Y in nature," it really drives home that animals are complex individuals. No one wolf is going to behave exactly like another wolf, any more than any human will act exactly like another human. Maybe there is an evolutionary advantage, maybe evolution is just weird and messy, but that's how the world is. The whole argument that "if everyone were gay/asexual/engaging in nonreproductive sexualities then the species would go extinct" is technically true but that's an extremely individualistic viewpoint. As a species - as a community - there is room for so much more.

Basic biology teaches us that all animals are driven by the need to reproduce, but advanced biology once again reveals a more complex picture.

This is just a long way to say that I didn't think I needed ace affirmation in scientific literature but actually I kind of did.

[thesilliestrovingalive]

Reworked Species #4: Mutated Plant Monsters

Overview

The scientific name of the mutated plant monsters is Borophyton (meaning “gluttonous plant”). Man Eaters and Huge Ivies are the result of plants mutated by highly toxic, genetic-altering chemicals, transforming them into ambulatory, carnivorous monsters. Through exposure to these chemicals and the DNA of these plant monsters, other life forms can undergo transformation. However, Man Eaters remain the most popular due to their unique abilities: swallowing prey whole in a single bite and exceptional movement speed. With sufficient training, love, and patience, they can readily learn to obey commands.

Man Eaters and Huge Ivies possess impressive intelligence, enabling them to comprehend human speech, collaborate in teams, and distinguish between enemies and potential friends. Man Eaters and Huge Ivies share a unique diet, consisting of photosynthesis and human consumption. In the absence of humans for extended periods, they will infrequently consume animal matter. Man Eaters can ingest water, blood, and alcohol without adverse effects from booze or contracting blood-borne infections (BBIs). However, excessive alcohol consumption can lead to bloating, while swallowing disproportionately large amounts of liquid can potentially cause drowning. In contrast, Huge Ivies primarily rely on absorbing rainwater to meet their hydration needs.

Unlike the Huge Ivies, Man Eaters are known to worship Sol Dae Rokker and their creators. They demonstrate their devotion through bizarre, ritualistic dances and rhythmic, guttural chants, often performed around makeshift circles composed of pebbles and human remains, which they construct themselves.

Huge Ivies exhibit adaptability in reproduction, utilising wind-borne spores to propagate in diverse environments from arid to humid. Typically, these spores give rise to budding sprouts that mature into Huge Ivies. In rare instances, this asexual reproduction process yields anomalous results: Man Eaters and peculiar, sweet-scented flowers that parasitize wild animals. Interestingly, these flowers coexist harmoniously with their hosts, deriving nourishment from any harmful bacteria the animal might have consumed.

Man Eaters can reproduce either by transforming into budding sprouts that release spores or through the fusion of male and female gametes. Typically, Man Eaters face little conflict when selecting mates. However, when multiple male Man Eaters vie for the same partner, they engage in a unique competition. To showcase their capabilities, they challenge each other to see how many objects they can fit into their mouths. The individual who succeeds in fitting the most objects is deemed the most capable of swallowing prey whole without struggle. If a female Man Eater remains uninterested, the male will attempt to win her over through a courtship ritual that involves a hopping, swaying dance, periodically rubbing his head against hers, and thoughtful offerings of half-eaten humans.

Observations have revealed distinct behaviours among Huge Ivies and Man Eaters when they're bored. Huge Ivies tend to whistle melodious tunes resembling bird songs or seek comfort by petting nearby Man Eaters or plants. Additionally, they often display affection by entwining their vines nearby Huge Ivies. In contrast, Man Eaters typically respond to boredom by seeking out sunny spots to nap or collecting unusual items, such as glass bottles and large branches.

Appearance

Both Man Eaters and Huge Ivies have light purple blood, and their heads explode into a cloud of greenish smoke when killed.

Man Eater (Borophyton velocis): They look incredibly similar to the Man Eaters concept art, but with some deviations. Female Man Eaters can grow up to 6' 5" (195.58 cm) in height, while male Man Eaters are approximately 6' 10" (208.28 cm). The Man Eaters' heads exhibit varied coloration: cardinal red, golden yellow, purplish-black, lilac, and yellowish-green. Their mouths feature two rows of carnivorous bronze-hued teeth, accompanied by three pointed dark purple tongues. Their heads are adorned with either glossy, spear-shaped leaves with a rosy pink tint or rose petals in shades of dark red, pale yellow, and white. Their upper bodies are adorned with rose-like thorns, while their remarkably flexible necks can extend up to 4 ft (121.92 cm).

Their moss green brains resemble acorn heads, minus the stems, and connect to a nervous system of thread-like rhizomes. Remarkably, this unique organ serves dual functions, analogous to both the human brain and heart, pumping red-violet blood throughout their body. They have a distinctly rounded abdomen, housing an enlarged stomach that secretes a digestive bile resembling maple syrup flecked with orange pulp. This specialised stomach is designed to break down the carcasses of their consumed prey. Meanwhile, the rhizome-like veins absorb the extracted nutrients from the digested bodies. Any indigestible remains are rapidly expelled through vomiting.

Female Man Eaters possess a red-orange pistil-like reproductive organ. This organ features a stigma functioning as the external orifice and a style serving as the vaginal canal. Internally, a single ovary contains greenish-white ovules, which mature into spores upon fertilisation. Male Man Eaters have tail-like stamens, each topped with five fluffy orange-yellow anthers. These anthers produce fertilising pollen, which is released when inserted into the female's pistil-like organ.

Huge Ivy (Borophyton immensus): They’re 9 ft (274.32 cm) wide with heads that measure 5’ 3” (160.02 cm) and vines that can reach up to 12 ft (365.76 cm).The heads of Huge Ivies are either fuchsia rose or saffron-yellow and divided into six coronate petals lined with carnivorous, silvery teeth. Each petal-like structure possesses a similar neurological configuration to the Man Eaters, featuring a lime green brain and a network of light grey rhizome-like veins.

Huge Ivies possess two pointed dark blue tongues and a rounded, sac-like abdomen covered by a protective layer of spiky vines. Internally, their digestive system resembles that of the Man Eaters, but the stomach is positioned directly behind the mouth. Between each petal-like structure, a pistil-like organ harbours mature spores, poised for immediate release. The glossy pistils transition seamlessly from purplish-black to lilac, culminating in a rosy pink stigma.

Abilities

Man Eaters possess a unique ability to produce a hallucinogenic purplish-pink smoke from an aerodynamic oblong sac located at the centre of their head. This sac is surrounded by muscles that contract in a forward motion, releasing the smoke through an orifice near the entrance of their mouth. The smoke's potent effects cause humans to believe they’re being verbally and physically seduced by the person they romantically love, leading to temporary disorientation. This allows the Man Eaters to quickly subdue and devour their prey.

Man Eaters possess the ability to extend their roots underground, maneuvering them to ensnare unsuspecting prey. With swift and forceful constraint, they immobilise their victims. Additionally, Man Eaters can dissipate into glowing amber energy particles, facilitating instantaneous teleportation to the nearest target.

Man Eaters and Huge Ivies slowly regenerate their damaged bodies in areas with abundant sunlight, where they absorb nutrient-rich water to facilitate their healing process. They can sprout spores resembling dandelion seeds, which softly explode upon contact with skin. After breathing it in, the affected living thing then erupts into a grotesque mass of violently twitching, spiky vines, splattered gore, and blooming white roses smeared with blood. They can spit large quantities of radioactive, corrosive sap by opening their maw wide, combining the slimy, radiated saliva in their mouth with the sap-like bile from their stomachs.

Huge Ivies possess specialised glands within each petal-like appendage of their head, containing a toxic purple gas. By contracting muscles surrounding these oval-shaped sacs, they can release this poisonous vapour through distinct orifices. Huge Ivies can release bouncing, explosive seed bombs covered in spikes, which detonate into flames upon contact with any living organism.

[bitey-baby-shark]

Facts of the Day: 🌊Moon Jellies🌊

Scientific Name: Aurelia aurita

Size: Between 2 to 15 inches

Lifespan: 8 to 12 months 

Reproduction: They breed through external fertilization. The species as a whole breeds year round but individuals have to wait till they reach sexual maturity in the medusae phase and then reproduce for 2 to 3 months most often in the late summer months. They can also reproduce asexually while in the polyp stage.

Diet: Tiny zooplankton, mollusk larvae, crustaceans, and small fishes

Habitat: They are found worldwide but prefer warm coastal waters in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Ocean.

Status: Least Concerned

Summary: Moon Jellies travel in big social congregates called smacks worldwide, with larger numbers off the coast of California as well as Canada and Europe. They are a very plentiful species and are a common prey species for a lot of animals, most notably species of Sea Turtles. However a fun place Moon Jellies have been found is actually in space! 2,500 Moon Jelly polyps and ephyrae (the two early stages of development for jellies) went into orbit on the space shuttle Columbia in 1991 to study the effects of weightlessness on internal organ development. While they didn’t make it to the moon, the findings of the study helped us understand more about the effects of zero gravity on astronauts.

[wistsandmagic]

Transformers Headcanon Time 3: There's A THIRD?

Today's Subject: Cybertronian Sex and Gender!

Been a while since one of these came up, huh? I haven't been idle, however, despite the lack of writing about it. Remedying some of that NOW. Again with the disclaimer that this is for a fan continuity, the Eterna AU, so please take everything with a grain of salt. This is how it works for this particular AU, and if it does not align with your own personal headcanons, that is perfectly fine! Your headcanons are yours, not part of this particular fan continuity!

Once again again, we’re going to condense things and call Cybertronians AND the colony-worlders by the umbrella-term “Cybertronian” because it saves me typing and helps with my brain fog, keeping things clearer when I write.

Necessary background: Cybertronians are, as humans define it, an asexual species. They have no genitalia as humans define them, everyone has the exact same thing -- a Spark -- and that is all that is needed. No external genitalia, no internal genitalia or genital organ structures. As mentioned in Headcanon 2: Electric Boogaloo, all Cybertronians are capable of forming a Gestational Forge or laying eggs if they reproduce on their own, and thus there is no sexual difference. With no genitalia, they are not a hermaphroditic species, they are truly 'lacking sex', and thus, asexual, in the scientific (non sexual orientation) way.

HOWEVER.

Cybertronians have 3 distinct 'neurological genders': Mech, Fem, and Novi. There has been debate about increasing this to 4, as the 'Novi' category has two very distinct subtypes, and among the Novi themselves the distinction has resulted in a split into two more neurological genders, Novi and Eda, but legally, there has been no change. For the sake of inclusivity, Novi and Eda will be referred to as separate neurological genders in this essay.

The neurological patterning covering the processor is distinct enough between the four to call them 'genders', with Mech neurological circuit patterns tending toward branched lines, Fem toward interlocking rings, Novi toward connected starbursts, and Eda toward concentric ripples. It is also common for Novi and Eda patterning-structures to be far more dense in certain areas than either Mech or Fem.

There are, of course, variations and 'intermediate' steps in between each of the four types that might equate to the spectrum of intersex individuals for humanity, but there is so much individuality in these variations that they have not been classified as a 'true' fifth gender. Most bots who fall into the variation spectrum personally lean toward one of the other genders, and if they do not, Cybertronians and humans actually share a word for this: Agender.

Mech, since the encounter with humans, has become equated to 'male'. Fem has become equated to 'female'. Novi and Eda donot seem to have a biological human sex counterpart, as 'intersex' among humans has too much variety to easily compare to a Novi or Eda. The closest human terminology seems to be 'nonbinary', and while for humans sex and gender seem to be two separate things, the term is accurate enough for a Cybertronian, as they are biologically sexless, with no reproductive difference between Mech, Fem, Novi, Eda, or any variations in between. Any and all Cybertronians can be a sire or a carrier, barring health issues or other barriers caused by frame type incompatibilities, and their neurological gender has nothing to do with reproductive viability.

Under Functionism, by long-enforced decree of the Senate, only one in thirteen bots born or forged, whether via The Well, Hotspot, or the increasingly-frowned-upon Carrier methodology (whether or not it was achieved via carrier self-splitspark or with sire(s)), could be deemed a Fem, with none being deemed a Novi or Eda, in an attempt to force the population to self-regulate types of alt-modes and enforce classist boundaries. Fem-designated bots were exclusively limited to small, slight frames, deemed weaker and thus more protected and 'fragile' than their forced-Mech counterparts.

Before Functionism, bots born were simply scanned as their protoforms solidified and settled into circuitry patterns, and their gender revealed. They were not locked into this gender, either; as they became more themselves, they were free to transition if they so chose, and their new pronouns in Cybex (and later Neocybex) would reflect the change. They were not limited in body shape nor alt-mode according to their neurological gender, either, only by what their bodies would accept, which varies from individual to individual, though anecdotal preferential 'trends' do tend to appear among the genders.

Mech body-types in general lean toward larger, bulkier, and comparatively stronger than the others, with their alt-modes tending to reflect this, being larger trucks or heavier cars, including muscle cars, large planes, helicopters, or starships (bombers, shuttles, or gunships), larger boats in the old days when Cybertron had oceans, or heavier-duty construction equipment. Beastformer Mechs tend to be bulkier or more heavily-armoured animals and insects for their body size, with longer teeth, horns, antlers, claws, and/or heavier shoulders than their Novi, Eda, or Fem counterparts.

Fem body-types in general lean toward shorter and more lithe than the Mechs, though not necessarily as tiny as what they were forced into under Functionism. They also tend to be much faster, and their alt-modes tend to reflect this, leaning more toward motorcycles, drag-race cars, smaller compact cars, fighter jets or reconnaisance planes, small 'bubble' style helicopters, or smaller starships, such as starfighters, small watercraft like jetskis, or small versions of the mech construction equipment, designed for tighter spaces or handling more delicate parts. Beastformer Fems tended toward sleeker and more lithe than their mech counterparts, albeit with sharper teeth and claws, with some beast alts foregoing things like antlers or horns entirely, in return for being much faster and more agile.

Novi and Eda body-types run the gamut much more than their Mech or Fem counterparts, though in general they fall somewhere in between, though they are more prone to extreme outliers in size and weight. There are exceptions, just as there are for Mech and Fem, so this is not a hard and fast rule, though many Novis tend to have slightly longer limbs and/or digits in comparison to their body than their Mech, Fem, or Eda counterparts, regardless of the rest of their frame. Edas, meanwhile, tend to have thicker shins and feet in comparison to other genders of similar builds, and tend to be slightly more sturdily-built than a Novi of the same frame-type. Novis and Edas both are much more likely to be standard race cars, '4-wheeler' style and amphibious/hover ATVs, small bi-planes or steath fighters, wind-powered watercraft like sailboats, small submersibles, and 'lamprey' style spacecraft that are designed to attach to larger craft and serve as close-quarters guardians. Beastformers tend to have smaller antlers or horns than Mechs, in some cases lacking them entirely like Fems, depending on Mech-to-Fem ratio in their given areas, while Novi and Eda Beastformers tend to, surprisingly, actually have longer fangs and claws than their Mech counterparts, though not as sharp as most Fems'. In the case of Insecticons and Avianformers, Novis and Edas tend to be more brightly or intricately patterned than either Mech or Fem of the same insect type, and their wings tend to be longer or more numerous than either of the others, though a Novi will lean more toward excessive patterning, while Eda lean more toward excessive colouration.

Under the Functionist Senate, Novis (and Edas, as a result) did not exist, and they were typically relegated to Mechs, with a rare Fem occasionally actually being an Eda or a Novi. In addition, any bot that would have otherwise been a Fem whose birth protoform was too large to reasonably accomodate a forced alt-mode that was typically assigned to Fems -- such as a motorcycle -- was assigned to be a Mech, whether or not their neurological patterning readily accepted a Mech-stype altmode or not. Many later 'transitioned' Fems discovered that they had a much easier time scanning and maintaining a Fem-style altmode than they ever had as a Mech, validating their decision to transition. On the other hand, any very small birth protoform tended to be assigned as a Fem, with the same results for forced-feminization as for forced-mechanization for their assigned-Mech counterparts.

Novis and Edas, on the other hand, often found themselves unable to take an alt mode of any kind, as their neurological programming tended to reject forced alts at a young age of both types, and many children and newbuilts, whether they were assigned Mech or Fem, found themselves altless until a much later age than their peers as a result, unless someone took pity on them and assigned them an alt that would have, once upon a time, been a 'true' Novi or Eda alt, now divided up between the Mech and Fem approved alt-mode lists for frame type.

Nowadays, Functionism does not exist, and thus bots are free to be who they are, without being forced into a narrow definition decided by others. This is, sadly, taking some getting used to for quite a few bots, and going has been slow. The rejoining of the lost colonies to Cybertron, however, has helped in this regard, as most of the lost colonies split from Cybertron before the rise of Functionism, and never developed the strict gender roles and alts forced upon their originator planet.

[pkmnherpetology]

happy pride month!

same-sex courting behavior and social bonding has been found in almost every single species of pokémon on the planet. in herptile pokémon, however, this behavior can be difficult to quantify. the vast majority of herp pokémon are not social, and mating encounters are brief. social bonds are rarely formed, meaning that in order to point to a herp pokémon that definitively shows frequent same-sex behavior we must look to salazzle.

the most common mating system of salazzle is that of a polyandrous lounge with one lead salazzle and a group of salandit, mostly male. in most cases, sexually mature female salandit leave their lounge as they evolve, and head off to collect males of their own.

however, some salazzle shun this system entirely. it is not uncommon for salazzle to form social groups of multiple adult salazzle and their female salandit offspring. these all-female lounges spurn the advances of male salandit and reproduce using something called “parthenogenesis.”

parthenogenesis is technically considered a form of asexual reproduction, and involves the salazzle laying eggs that hatch into genetically identical clones of herself. due to the fact that these eggs develop without the need for sperm, it is not considered on a scientific level to be sexual.

but it cannot occur without mating. in these lounges of lesbian lizards (lizbians, if you will), when the reproductive season strikes, salazzle begin to pair off. one salazzle takes on the role of a male salandit and performs courtship behaviors towards her partner that tell her partner’s body, “hey, it’s time to start laying eggs!” without this interaction, a parthenogenetic salazzle will not lay fertile eggs.

for this reason, salazzle has become a sapphic icon in the regions to which it is native, and its symbolism has begun to spread across the world. happy pride to these lizbians!

[revretch]

Can I pick your brain for ideas lil bit? I'm working on a race of sapient subterranean eusocial arthropods and I can't decide on a biological basis for them. (I've already ruled the three most typical bases for this kind of fantasy guy; ants, wasps and mantids.) I do however have a firm idea of their indigenous region; a massive biome of networked caves that support jungle-equivalent biodiversity via huge colonies of luminescent microbes that cling to the upper reaches of the caves. These arthropod folk live down here pretty exclusively, but they interact with other subterranean societies. I've also established tangentially that they've domesticated a large (described as 'dog sized') beetle whose larval form is used as livestock cause it produces an edible syrup as a waste product. anyway I guess the actual question is do you have any ideas for which real world animals I could base these arthropod folk on; or unusual directions I could take the more typical bee/ant/mantis approach.

I don't suppose termites are an option? Something unusual I never see depicted about termites is that they have not only queens, but also kings! They're also unusual in that, unlike wasps, ants and bees (who strictly have female workers), there are also male workers!

If you're looking for more unusual eusocial insects, aphids and thrips are both options.

Like termites, eusocial thrips have both male and female workers. Unlike termites, the male "workers" can breed, however. (Female workers cannot; only special breeding females.) They also have soldiers with big mantis-like claws, which are used for crushing enemy thrips (as well as secreting antifungal compounds)! They all live together in galls (swellings they induce in host plants).

Some images of a species with different galls on different plants:

Some sources:

Eusocial aphids are unusual in that instead of having a single queen or just a few queens, the majority of the population is asexual females giving birth to clones. In some species, there are also (also female, though nonreproductive) soldiers. Some soldiers have turned the central tail spike into a stinger; others have wicked crablike forms like you can see on the right, compared to the more usual reproductive aphids on the left:

Some eusocial aphids live in galls, like the thrips. Others just live out in the open like usual aphids. Soldiers' duties range from keeping the gall clean (if they live in galls), to killing hoverfly maggots which prey on aphids.

At the end of the year, the aphids lay eggs that turn into winged males and females that breed, yielding the next year's asexual, wingless females again (both soldier and non-soldier).

Some sources:

Hope this helps!

[fishenjoyer1]

Fish of the Day

Today's fish is the giant Siphonophore!

The giant siphonophore, also called the giant siphonophore, scientific name Praya dubia, is known for their strange appearance and the mystery surrounding them as a relatively new discovery. Within the Cnidaria phylum, lays jellyfish, corals, anemones, and many others. Within that is the Hydrozoa class, the most notable of which being freshwater jellies, hydras, and the Portuguese man o' war (which is also a siphonophore).

Siphonophorae, unlike the popular perception, is not a single organism, but rather a colony of both medusa stage and polyp stage zooids, all of which have evolved to specialize jobs and live attached. Zooids are multicellular organisms that reproduce asexually through a budding process. This process starts with a single bud called the pro-bud, and siphonophores are unique in that this pro-bud can produce zooids with specific functions and unique roles to play. The body itself is made first out of a stem (a vertical branch stretching the length of the animal that the remaining colony attaches to) allowing for zooids of particular purposes to attach themselves in specific spatial patterns along the length.

The giant siphonophore, as a part of the Calycophorae suborder, has certain zooids in its construction unique to its order. The specialized roles consist of: brachts (used for maintaining a neutral buoyancy, storing oil acting as a protective cover), gastrozooids (used to feed on prey), gonophores (used for reproduction), nectophores (stinging cells held on the outside of tentacles across the body), palpons (used for digestion), and pneumatophores (holds gas on the anterior end, used for balance and locomotion, and possibly identifying changes in the water).

The giant siphonophore was first discovered in April of 2020 off the coast of Australia by researchers, as far as 800 meters below the surface, living in the mesopelagic to the bathypelagic zones, 700-1,000m. This is the largest siphonophore ever found, a recorded 150 feet in length, although exact measures can be difficult with an animal living at depths like this. Their range is unknown, along with many other things about this animal, but sightings have been primarily made in the pacific and indo pacific oceans. The diet is made up of anything that runs into this animal, primarily fish and crustaceans. These animals are active swimmers, willing to pursue prey, although this behaviour hasn't been seen in larger specimens. Like other siphonophores, this giant is bioluminescent, producing a blue light whenever it is bumped into, and can use these bright lights to attract prey. Hunting is done by extending nematocyst stinging cells into anything that contacts the tentacles, injecting them, this can deliver a toxic sting and paralyze prey. As of this time, there are no known predators.

Have a good day, everyone!