Draco basalis

Draco basalis is a basal species of dracopiscini living in the reefs east of New Japan, in the Irobian ocean.
These animals are a renowned worldwide attraction of these reefs.
They live in small to medium sized shoals, up to twenty specimens, all living together very closely to eachother, way outside of the under-reef division.
This group never feared man but this particular species even more so than others; they will often swim close to divers to check them out; if these animals are offered food, they won't ever turn it down; however a diver must pay attention around these amphibians, as dominant males could take certain behaviors as a threat to their females and attack the divers; these animals have extremely powerful bites capable of breaking down bones and amphibians armors; a dominant male will easily break thorugh a diver's arm or leg if it feels his females are threatened. Attacks on humans have been fairly rare as of late, after the local towns launched a campaign to educate divers on the proper etiquette around this and many other possibly dangerous animals of the local reefs.
They are, like most other members of their group, very venomous, capable of poisoning someone through the cutting of the skin using the dorsal fin. Their venom acts quickly, once it entered the body, the victim has one to two hours to seek medical attention, depending on where the venom entered the body; if untreated, the venom will provoke internal bleeding leading, in the most severe cases, to death.
These animals are kept in aquariums uder their commercial name "Pink dragons"; the breeds sold on the market are dwarves, made to remain small, needing less food and space.

Basic Information

Anatomy

• Elongated snout with segmented armor, going down to the base of the dorsal fin; small sized crests jet out of the post-temporal plate and the first cervical plate; large eyes.

• Strong, blunt, teeth; jaw with enlarged muscolature giving the animal a strong bite.

• Body elongated.

• Dorsal fin semi transparent with four rays; rays have internal venom ducts.

• Pectoral fin spear shaped; anal I and II slightly reduced, spear shaped.

• Both uppert and lower caudal fins elongated.

• All fins have four harder membrane folds on their inner bases.

• Gill fan long with soft ridges and caudal drop.

Genetics and Reproduction

Polyginous species.
The species enters heat during the mid-summer, when most of the armored plants composing the reefs bloom; during this brief period of blooming, the males and females will mate.
In a normal shoal of Draco basalis, there are several females and three to four males; these males are all dominant over a number of those females, who will compose their mating group; once a female is in a mating group, it wont leave it for another male unless contested.
The males will take the females of their group in separate areas of their territories, still in clear sight one group from the other, in case of danger; the males will then proceed on with the ritual and choose a flowering plant to make the nest in; once its finished chosing the plant, the females will fight over who will be the first to be fertilized by the male; these fight can go on for long; with females bumping their side to the other repeatedly while trying to get to the male; the first one to reach the male without getting bumped away get the right to mate.
After mating is done the female will enter the plant, while the male will move to another and repeat the process; the female will incubate the eggs for only a few hours before laying them.
Once the eggs have been laid inside the oper plant, the female will leave.
When blooming comes to an end, the armored plants close again with the eggs inside; the eggs will take eight months to hatch.
At birth the spawns will naturally secrete a sweet chemical that attracts animals such as venomspitters or other coral burrowing animals to the single plant; once these animals dig their way in, the small amphibians will leave through the hole created by the former, swimming down in the under-reef where they'll pass the first half of their lives.

Growth Rate & Stages

Ontogenesis not incredibly marked in the species.
Young specimens have shorter snouts and are darker than adults, making them adept at camouflaging in the under-reef.
Loss of natal aculeus at two months of age.

Ecology and Habitats

These are epipelagic animals of the neritic zone.
They prefer to stay at mid depth from the base of the over-reef to the surface; swimming in the open water and stalking the areas for small prey and unarmored plants to chew on.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Draco basalis is a predator of the upper reefs of the Irobian ocean.
They eat mostly smaller amphibians that poke out of the under-reef and medium sized amphibians that prowl their territories. Other components of their diet are small soft bodied plants that parasitize the armored plants of the reef; contributing actively to the health of the reef.

Biological Cycle

Sexual maturity at 1 year of age; young individuals will leave the under-reef at their sixth month of life; mature individuals will be very social.
Sexual sterility at 30 years of age.

Additional Information

Social Structure

Social creatures living in groups of even twenty specimens; a normal group has three to four males and several females.
These animals aren't scared of humans and will often approach divers to check them out and get some food. However, males can feel the females threatened by humans if certain behaviors are not observed, making them possibly dangerous.

Domestication

A popular aquarium amphibian, on the market the "Pink Dragons" (commercial name) has various breeds, most of which pigmy in nature.
Some very prestigious breeds can be really expensive.

Uses, Products & Exploitation

Used mainly in the pet trade, this animal saw massive popularity within the diving community.

Geographic Origin and Distribution

Reefs east of New Japan, Irobian Ocean.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Very good sight.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

These animals live in a mutualistic relationship with the armored plants of the reefs, keeping them clean from soft bodies plants and eating burrowing animals in exchange for the protection of their hard shell for the eggs.

Scientific Name

Eoichthyia; Tartarosomnia; Scutocephalidae; Calvatopinnoidea; Caligobeloidea; Viaiosmandibulidae ; Viaiosmandibulinae; Dracopiscini; Draco; D. basalis

Lifespan

35 years

Conservation Status

LEAST CONCERN: no measures underway to protect this animal.
Population trend: STABLE

Average Weight

50 to 65 kg

Average Length

1.25 m (male) , 1.5 m (female)

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Pink body tint with black marking along the center of th ebody and Gill tail back.