Aquanoids

The aquanoids are a race of amphibious people from the world of aquarius, which orbits a yellow star in the galactic north. They are a people of hunters, warriors and explorers, with a great deal of expertise in underwater engineering. This has made their skills highly sought after by many, including the Sirasion Empire, where their world is located within. The Aquanoids have been long-time allies of the imperials since before the great uprising, but also lent their long-ranged explorer craft to the effort to map out the galaxy during the early years of the Alliance's rule.
To be an aquanoid is to be a minority species, one people amongst many others. Their world brings in trade, and their artisan goods, such as weapons, armour and vehicles for underwater use are well-renowned and respected, but they have no allusions to grand power over others. Many of their kind choose to go out into the galaxy as mercenaries and engineers, others find work in the militaries of one of the many factions in the galaxy, but their people as a whole do not posess the capability nor the will to do this. However, a few aquanoid colonies have been established over the years, though most failed due to the large conflicts that have plagued the last 100 years.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Aquanoids are very strong swimmers, posessing retractable fins over their bodies, and webbed hands & feet. They posess both gills and lungs, and can comfortably dive up to 400m without special training or equipment.
Males and females have a very similar body shape due to their young being born from eggs and with fully developed digestive systems, and it can sometimes be difficult to tell a male from a female outside of their mating season.
The aquanoids, as a species, are well-suited to long distance space travel. They suffer very low muscle degradation on account of having evolved in water, and after the sirasions lost the great uprising, the rebels chose to forgive the aquanoids, particularly after many chose to join in the psaduan uprising. As a result, many aquanoid explorers helped map out much of the galaxy in the 200 year peace.

Genetics and Reproduction

Aquaniod reproduction is seasonal, with their people only becoming sexually active for 2 standard months of the year. During this time, the fins of the males flush with vibrant colours, while the females' reproductive organs begin producing unfertilised eggs.
Once a male/female pair is established, they court for a time, and once they feel the time is right, the male will offer the female a sac of sperm, which the female will take and fertilise her eggs with, which are amphibian-like with soft shells to allow the sperm to penetrate. Typically females lay around 4 or 5 eggs, with 2-3 usually surviving until they hatch. Any unhatched eggs are discarded, usually into the surrounding ocean.
The ceremonial giving of the sperm sac is a very special and intimate moment, symbolising the male's commitment to his partner, and her acceptance of it is equally important as her acceptance of him. For certain Aquanoid couples that, for whatever reason, do not wish to reperoduce, both may choose to give the other their eggs/sperm sac and throw them to the ocean depths instead. This is a more recent tradition, but is still just as important.
Once this process is complete, both the female and male come of of their heightened sexual states, and both the female and male will usually raise the clutch of eggs together as part of a mixed family group called a cadre.
Aquanoids do not become infertile over time, but the biological process for it can take too much strain on their bodies the older they get, and at around age 60 most cannot complete the process and their bodies cease to enter 'heat' during mating season.

Growth Rate & Stages

Once aquanoids hatch from their eggs, they can only breathe water and have small tails instead of two legs, but have fully functioning digestive systems. At around age 2-3, their lungs develop and their tails slowly seperate into two legs over the course of around 1 year.
By age 4 they can walk and talk normally, and grow until maturity at aroung age 17, with their reproductive systems first becoming active around this time.
Aquanoids can live untill around age 90, but there are some exceptions.

Ecology and Habitats

Aquanoids live both above and below the water, and most aqianoid cities have both above water and underwater districts. Most plant-based farming is done on land, meanwhile most hunting goes on underwater. During the planet's industrialisation, vast factories and mining complexes were built inland, with these areas being mostly abandoned after they achieved spaceflight, though some of the planet's poorest find their way to the abandoned inland cities.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

Aquanoids posess great night vision, particularly when underwater. In high-light conditions, a translucent black lens forms over most of their eye, leaving only a small white slit forlight to pass into. Their eardrums are also capable of picking up sounds better underwater, though on land they function just as well as most species' hearing.

Scientific Name

Oceanus venator