nipnit spinefish

The nipnit, also known as the spinefish, is a double-jawed mid-sized tropical fish capable of swallowing prey larger than its head. Its body is covered in large, barbed spikes designed to embed themselves deep into the flesh of potential predators, guaranteeing the spinefish its place at the top of the food chain.

Basic Information

Anatomy

Nipnit are saltwater fish, especially common around the reefs and river mouths of Janikk due to the abundance of potential prey. Aggressive by nature, an attitude only emboldened by the nipnit's array of painful and stubborn spikes, spinefish are able to consume fish and other creatures more than twice their size due to their expanding jaws and stomach. The fish's outer jaw is lined with a row of sharp teeth, which curve backward to prevent prey from escaping, while also making it easier to pull its food deeper into its mouth. A secondary jaw, the pharyngeal jaw, is used to pull still-struggling prey into their throat to swallow it whole.

Dietary Needs and Habits

An opportunistic predator, nipnit are known to each whatever they can swallow, sometimes to their detriment. They will often wait in the shadows for a fish to swim past them, rather than actively hunting. The spinefish's curved teeth, while guaranteeing struggling prey cannot escape, also prevent the fish from expelling meals that have proven too large for its stomach or digestion, and nipnit have been known to die on occasion due to choking on large prey or even the occasional item of debris mistaken for viable prey. For this reason, among the Jannadael the nipnit have come to represent those who push their luck, particularly the thoughtless and opportunistic natures of Sparnell Confederation and Hydell Order leadership.

Geographic Distribution