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Skittlebow (Tumultari krowla)
Creator: Future Tyrannosaurus
Ancestor: Flop Ribbon
Habitat: East Dorite Reef, Dorite Subtropical Beach, West Dorite Tropical Undersea Meadow, Dorite Subtropical Undersea Meadow, Dorite Tropical Beach
Size: 5cm
Support: Soft-Bodied (Hydrostatic Skeleton, Hydraulic Muscles)
Diet: Omnivore (Landasticker, Puddleface Wormoss, Symbiomats, Tidal Leafstar, Carpetesta, Quataetar, Thikasticker), Detritivore
Respiration: Passive (External Gills, Breathing Through Skin)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Female/Male, Live Birth)

Splitting off from its ancestor, the Skittlebow adapted life for being amphibious. It spends most of its time in water, but can occasionally go on land. It is still benthic as a result of completely losing adaptations to swim, eating food on the floor of its underwater habitats. The Skittlebow has got several adaptations that allow it to do this new lifestyle. The most notable adaptation was the two anal fingers becoming elongated, functioning like a leg. With these legs and the three tentacle arms below the body, it skitters around the ocean floor for prey. When being chased by a predator, it will quickly retreat to the surface and stay there for a few minutes. During this time, it secretes mucus to prevent the gills and body from drying out. This mucus can be re-secreted when going back in water, letting it stay on land for thirty minutes maximum on non-rainy days as a result. Even if the climate is moist, the mucus will dry out in thirty minutes so they can’t stay longer on land. The legs aren't powerful enough on land so it relies on crawling. The anal finger in the middle that didn’t become a leg functions like a tail that gets dragged. While on land, it curls up the external gills to make it harder to lose moisture. Compared to its ancestor, the Skittlebow is a little bit “plump” but still thin. The eyes still migrate to one spot like their ancestor. It has shrinked in size to better suit land life. It has developed vascular veins for flowing blood through its body on land. It has evovled keratin microscales to prevent collapsing, and produces pulmonary surfactant that helps restore the gills if they were to collapse, in the water. These two adaptations cover the gills on the outside. When returning to water, it extends back the curled gills.

This seems like a...strange choice for a species to become terrestrial.

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 9 2023, 04:32 PM)

This seems like a...strange choice for a species to become terrestrial.

Well I mean TSSL has said chamebered siluros were just as weird to landfall...

Chambered siluros breathed air and had bones.

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 9 2023, 04:49 PM)

Chambered siluros breathed air and had bones.

Siluro aside, is it fine? Is there anything I should fix?

I don't think the gills would work in air as-is. They would collapse and stick together, rendering it unable to breathe well enough to live no matter how wet they are.

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 9 2023, 09:04 PM)

I don't think the gills would work in air as-is. They would collapse and stick together, rendering it unable to breathe well enough to live no matter how wet they are.

They use the external gills for water, not land. They breath through their skin, and they digest things in the water to reduce oxygen use on land

A collapsed gill doesn't work in water anymore either.

Make their gills retractable.

QUOTE (Lightvsdark777 @ Mar 10 2023, 05:04 PM)

Make their gills retractable.

Yeah I'm going to edit in a bit

Finished editing. How's it now? Also the depiction is when it is on the seafloor, not on land. Though if necessary, I will draw it on land.

QUOTE (Future Tyrannosaurus @ Mar 10 2023, 08:42 PM)

Finished editing. How's it now? Also the depiction is when it is on the seafloor, not on land. Though if necessary, I will draw it on land.

Please draw how it looks on land.

Added a picture of it on land

Removed clawed grapplebun due to it being dangerous for swallowing.