Brine Fish
Deep down in the seas of Ocearia lives a small fish, called the brine fish. Instead of filtering out the salt from the water they inhale, they coat their scales in the salt and let it harden for it to become too toxic for predators to eat.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Brine fish have the typical physique of any fish, except their scales are completely transparent. This gives us a view of how the fish works, their internal organs are visible and we can see how they actually process the salt. Their pectoral fins are incredibly long; about twice the size of the fish's body. Their dorsal fin is short and flat, with small ridges along it that help control movement. Their caudal fins are split into two, as most fish tails do, each split ending in 3 spikes that are used to jab at predators when they flick their tails.
Genetics and Reproduction
Females will lay unfertilised eggs in the water during breeding season, which fertilise when males come along. Females keep watch until a male does fertilise them, and when a male does the female collects the eggs in her mouth and moves into a small crack or a cave, and releases the eggs. These eggs take 3 weeks to hatch, at incredible risk from predators that sneak into the cave when the female leaves to eat.
Growth Rate & Stages
As brine fish age, more salt will be produced on their scales. This will slow down movement, especially flexibility, which makes them more vulnerable to predation as they are unable to escape. However, because the increase in salt makes them more toxic, they lose the risk of predation. There is a short period of time in their lives when they are at most risk, as they are just starting to slow down and they're just tolerable by most predators.
Ecology and Habitats
Brine fish live very close to the brine river, where they can tolerate the salinity and produce more salt on their scales to protect. They can tolerate the highest level of salinity the river has to offer, where they often lie when predators like wolfdogs are around, that can't survive in the river.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Brine fish consume plankton and zooplankton, which are very common in this part of the world, more so than other places. They filter feed with their mouths, and need to consume their entire body weight in a day (which actually isn't much).
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