Gladioceras

An octopus-esque creature equipped with armor and organic weapons, known for being hardy fighters, and displaying high levels of intelligence. Many have been found living in territories that they build themselves, or lying in the sand to hunt for prey. They rely on their shells both to disguise and protect themselves, though there have been recorded instances of predators cracking their shells open with sheer strength.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Gladiocerads have eight long arms containing sharp ridges on their undersides, two of which have spikes growing into large hooks for giving effective cuts to its victims. The octopus also has a hardy shell over is head, hugging its glowing eyes near the front.

Genetics and Reproduction

Gladiocerads often use their free time to make their territory look tidy, in the hopes of attracting another Gladioceras to pair up with. They'll remove or add rocks to their territory, usually placing them in artistic patterns, as well as gather foliage to sprinkle around the place. Some have even been observed drawing lines in the sand with their arms to add to the effect. If another Gladioceras finds a territory well-made, the two will pair up to start a family. The eggs will be laid in specially crafted nests, and the father will leave soon after the egg-laying, in order to mate with more individuals.

Growth Rate & Stages

Mother Gladiocerads appear to starve themselves guarding their eggs, as newborns have frequently been found surviving on their own. They are born in large batches, have underdeveloped hooks, and very weak minimal shells. After getting past their initial stages in life, surviving off of eating their mother's corpse, they'll begin to look much more like the adults. And despite not having parents to teach them about the world, they develop complex levels of thinking to aid in their survival. Some younglings are thought to have played games with or even pranks on each other growing up. Just before they reach adulthood, many of them may split off from their siblings and travel on their own, searching for good hunting grounds.

Ecology and Habitats

These octopuses live in the plains of the Nightlight Zone, swimming just about anywhere. They spend half of their time swimming over the seabed looking for edible plants, and the other half digging around in the sand to make temporary residences. Sometimes, they may rebuild their hunting grounds to also function as their home territory, digging holes in the sand, or creating makeshift shelters from rocks to hide in and wait for prey. If a hunting ground does not turn out promising, they'll abandon it to look for a new site.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Gladiocerads mainly eat Flat Tip Reef Sharks. To hunt for these sharks, they bury themselves in the sand and lie in wait. When a shark passes by, the creature will hook onto its head with its arms, aiming its hooks for the eyes. Oftentimes, the Gladioceras will simply stay attached to their victim's face and wait for it to bleed out before consuming it, assuming they can resist the shark's attempts to push it off. These creatures will also eat Sea Bushes and algae, using their six blunt arms to pick their food off the ground.

Biological Cycle

These creatures' shells may dull with age, especially if they have a particularly active lifestyle.

Additional Information

Social Structure

While fairly intelligent creatures, Gladiocerads don't seem to have complex sociality. Some specimens have been found in pairs of two, working together for survival rather than mating. These pairs show at least some deal of compassion for one another, but they often seem skeptical about living together with another, third individual.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Gladiocerads have two eyes through which they see, but they also make use of their sense of touch, by using their arms to sense the environment above them when hunting. These creatures also appear to be deaf.

Scientific Name

Enteroceras armis

Lifespan

Unknown (But estimated to be five years)

Average Weight

560 lbs

Average Length

25 ft.

Average Physique

Slim

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Red skin, brown shell, yellow glowing eyes

Geographic Distribution

• The Sand Plains

Average Intelligence
Fairly High