Spinapterus

Spinapterids are aggressive predators dwelling in the seabed of the Fields, often using their hind and forelimbs to bury themselves in the sand to hide in and ambush prey. While buried, they can swallow the sand and store it inside themselves indefinitely, where they can then spit it back out as a means of self defense. They eject the sand at extremely high speeds, wounding just about anything that gets hit by the blast.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Spinapterids are fairly long creatures with spiky exoskeletal plates covering their bodies. They have thin pincers, broad paddle-shaped hind limbs, and a large fluke at the end of their tail. Their heads are wide, with small spikes behind their six glowing eyes, and small mandibles underneath the front end.

Biological Traits

Male Spinapterids often have slightly more pronounced spikes on their bodies, but their pincers are more or less the same as the females'.

Genetics and Reproduction

Oftentimes, these scorpions will attempt to mate with each other whenever they meet, but another male may walk in on the pair and start a comeptition with the other male. They begin by displaying their paddles and body spikes, before spitting sand into each other's eyes to make them back down. These competitions mostly end when one becomes too exhausted from the physical effort to continue, and the new parents will lay their eggs in a large batch underneath the sand, where the young will have to dig themselves out.

Growth Rate & Stages

Baby Spinapterids will have to get accustomed to their digging abilities early on, when they have to dig out of their nests. Some younglings may kill their siblings and feast on their corpse, just to gain a little bit of energy for traveling their environment. After a slight initial bloodbath after hatching, the young will go their separate ways, and continue to learn things for themselves. They survive by burying themselves underneath the sand, and feasting on small critters that also spend their time burrowing. Once fully grown, these scorpions' lives won't change much, but they will get slightly more aggressive towards other Spinapterids.

Ecology and Habitats

Spinapterus live in the Fields, and spend the majority of their time swimming over the seabed in search of a place to hide, but can also crawl if conditions above are too harsh. They often make temporary hideaways in the sand, where they rest for long stretches of time, feeding off of anything that crawls or swims overhead.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Spinapterus mainly feed on Armored Nautiloids and Armidiums, species that live close to the ground. They make sure to bury themselves in the sand, with only their eyes showing through, immediately striking with their claws once a prey item passes overhead to gather food. They start by spitting sand at the prey to stun them, then they'll grab them with their pincers, and begin bashing them against a rock to crack open their shells. This may be the main reason why they prefer hunting near large rocky structures.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

These creatures have six eyes on the fronts of their faces, which they mainly use to get around when they are in a period of rest. When buried in the sand, they make more use of their hearing and smell to detect the world above them. Sometimes, they poke their eyes out of the sand at risk of being spotted, just to see everything more clearly.

Scientific Name

Spinapterus tenues

Lifespan

Unknown

Average Weight

260 lbs

Average Length

6 ft.

Average Physique

Flat

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

Dark red/orange shell, glowing orange eyes

Geographic Distribution

• The Ash Fields

Average Intelligence
Average