Hello everyone, this thread is meant for addressing your species that you believe should be decanonized and replaced. This isn't the same as a retcon, which would be changing something in a submission but still keeping it intact. The species addressed here will be fully removed from the game, and will require an entirely new entry.
Please post all new submissions for decanonization here
Please post all new submissions for decanonization here
Arrowhead (Spiculicato opusessetmutatio)
Creator: Nergali
Ancestor: Armororm
Habitat: Ninth Tropical Bay, Jlindy Tropical Coast
Size: 1 cm long
Diet: Planktivore (<.5 mm)
Reproduction: Budding, Asexual Spores
Splitting from its ancestor, the Arrowhead represents a unique evolution from the mainline rorms, differing from them in several ways. While they retain a chitinous shell that covers the majority of their bodies, much like it was with the Armororm, the exoskeleton now has grown both denser and stronger with the incorporation of aragonite, a calcium carbonate mineral, into it. This is not unlike the shells of earth crustaceans, and like them, they routinely molt this shell in order to grow larger, a trait not seen in other rorm species, which instead tend to shed plates one at a time as they grow.
Reproductive-wise, Arrowheads have adapted their ancestral budding system. Instead of producing a few, smaller copies of themselves, they spawn a mass of tiny budded “spores” that, supplied with little more than a stomach and mouth, must gorge on other planktonic species so that they may mature. While many of these offspring will be consumed by larger planktivores, a good portion will be lucky enough to survive, reach maturity, and reproduce themselves. These spores are released from in-between any body segment, but primarily through the base of the tail. This differs from most other rorms, which typically reproduce offspring around the head region, though this adaptation came about so as to reduce the risk of adults consuming their offspring as well as to compensate for the presence of armor there.
Lacking true jaws, Arrowheads have compensated for this by extending their first armor segment to create a pair of “tusks” that serve to help funnel plankton-laden water directly into the gaping maw. In conjunction with this, tiny tentacle-like extensions extend from around the maw. Capable of limited movement, they each possess a tiny stinging cell within them that is used to incapacitate larger planktonic species before they are swallowed whole.
The presence of an exoskeleton reduces the amount of open surface area through which oxygen and carbon dioxide can be diffused through the skin. As such, Arrowheads had to compensate for this. Slight grooves in the shell of the Armorm’s head, which were already thinner in an attempt to solve this issue, have now evolved into complete openings, and function akin to spiracles in earth insects in the sense that gas exchange occurs here. Oxygenated water is sucked into these opening, passed through the body, then expelled through the spaces in-between the tail segments. This, however, would not be sufficient to transport oxygen throughout the body, which would require yet another evolutionary adaptation.
Unlike any other rorm species, the Arrowheads have evolved a sort of blood. Akin to the haemolymph of earth insects, this substance lacks blood cells and is primarily water, alongside a variety of ions, lipids, amino acids, etc. This substance is mostly translucent, with a faint yellowish to greenish tinge in color, stemming from the presence of trace amount of pigments in the liquid acquired from the food they eat. Gas exchange in this liquid is passive, though the small size of the Arrowhead makes it sufficient. The blood also functions in the role of the lymphatic system, as well as transporting nutrients to cells and cellular waste away from them. A pair of hearts, located behind the head and extending towards the base of the tail, help to make this entire open circulatory system function, though they are little more than a few rings of muscles surrounding a pair of tubes that effectively squeeze the blood throughout the body.
Perhaps the most prominent feature on the Arrowhead is the presence of a pair of yellowish lumps on either side of their bodies. Filled with jelly and a small bundle of several electrical sensors, they are used in lieu of eyes in order to sense the world around them. Capable of picking up electrical signals, they grant the Arrowheads a limited worldview beyond what their chemoreceptors can detect. While not capable of granting long-range detection of predators - and prey items are numerous enough to not require it - it does allow Arrowheads to keep in contact with one another and know their positions, allowing for shoaling to occur.
Exploding in regards to population, this tiny planktivores have become prey for a huge variety of larger predators, and thus have become important in many food chains.
This post has been edited by Nergali: Feb 16 2021, 07:22 PM
This is the retcon I've been working on, a new arrowhead that changes their problematic origins and instead now connects their lineage to that of the rorms.
As per this retcon, I would like to rename the current Arrowhead to the Sunlit Arrowhead. It and the Twilight Arrowhead will need a slight rewrite, but mostly consisting of shortening their description since this species contains most of the information found on both of them already, save for some features. This shouldn't mess up any diets involving the original arrowhead, since this shares the exact same range and is over similar size/habit.
This post has been edited by Nergali: Feb 15 2021, 01:59 PM
As per this retcon, I would like to rename the current Arrowhead to the Sunlit Arrowhead. It and the Twilight Arrowhead will need a slight rewrite, but mostly consisting of shortening their description since this species contains most of the information found on both of them already, save for some features. This shouldn't mess up any diets involving the original arrowhead, since this shares the exact same range and is over similar size/habit.
This post has been edited by Nergali: Feb 15 2021, 01:59 PM
"their exoskeleton have grown"
This seems to be using the singular "they", which doesn't make sense. It would be best to use the representative "it". (e.g., "A lion uses its claws to pin down prey.")
"Reproductive wise," Reproduction-wise.
"serve as funnels that help to funnel" Using "funnel" twice is awkward, though it's not strictly necessary to remove.
"these opening" (Into these openings)
"have evolved blood. Sort of." This is rather informal. "have evolved a sort of blood" keeps most of the phrasing, but is more formal.
"etc..." There's only one "." in "etc.", and only one period at the end of a sentence, so it should be "..".
"This substance is a yellowish tinge in color"
"Yellowish" and "tinge" are redundant. "This substance is yellowish" or "this substance has a yellowish tinge" is better.
Cobloglobin is a synthetic compound, so it's odd for it to exist within a natural organism.
In any case, since it doesn't exist in nature, I recommend adding a little more detail about how it came to exist in this organism.
Try looking at these sources on coboglobin:
http://www.xenology.info/Xeno
/10.4.htm
https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/que...n-clarification
https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/que...-an-alien-blood
"liquid, gas". The comma should be a period.
"mall size". That's hilarious, but a typo. You meant "small size".
"bundle several" should be "bundle of several".
Out of curiosity...where are its primitive hearts in its body?
Okay, I've made the changes to it. Does it look better now? I've also changed the coloration of the blood to be more akin to that of insects, with the faint coloration coming from the food they eat.
Here's a retcon for the description of the two arrowhead descendants of this (diets and reproduction strategy will be changed to match the ancestor):
Sunlight Arrowhead (formerly just Arrowhead)
The Sunlight Arrowhead has doubled in size compared to its ancestor, the Arrowhead, thanks in part to a diet rich in a wide variety of planktonic species. With little direct competition in its niche, it has managed spread along the coasts of Barlowe and Dixon, and they now thrive in the temperate to tropical waters. There presence alongside other species of Arrowheads has begun to put pressure on several species of distantly related Rorms. While the latter have long since been established in the waters of Sagan IV, the evolutionary adaptations of the Arrowheads, such as their improved feeding structure and tiny stinging cells for incapacitating larger prey, have given them a definitive edge over them.
The exoskeletons of the Sunlight Arrowheads have evolved a smoother carapace in order to make them more hydrodynamic. In addition, their tails are now completely encased in the aragonite-infused chitinous shell, allowing them to deliver more thrust with each flick. Finally, the mandible-like tusks have further extended, and can even be brought together with the top of the "mouth" in order to create a tight seal in order to prevent prey from escaping the tentacled maw within.
Beyond these morphological changes, the Sunlight Arrowheads are similar to the Arrowheads in regards to their diets and reproductive strategies.
- - -
Twilight Arrowhead
Evolving rather closely alongside its surface dwelling cousin, the Twilight Arrowhead features much of the same internal features and anatomy as their ancestors, from which they have split. Differences, however, do exist. For one, they are capable of producing clicks by smacking their tusks against the sides of their head. The sharp sound produced bounces off distant objects, and the sightless Twilight Arrowheads will then detect the returning vibrations in order to aid them in navigating through water, in a matter not unlike a weak form of sonar. This complements both their chemosensory senses as well as their primitive capacity to detect bioelectric signals.
Adults have small, notably thinner patches exoskeleton along their sides where they can form small bioelectric currents and - unintentionally - flashes of light so that they may more effectively communicate with one another. This light come about by sudden retractions of muscles visible through the chitin, which is intended to produce a bioelectrical signal but also forces oxygen into the regions. Luciferin-like compounds, present in the flesh, are triggered by this sudden flush of oxygen to begin undergoing luminescence. In the darker depths of the ocean, and with le need to compete against surface currents, the Twilight Arrowheads are not as powerful a swimmer as their surface-dwelling kin, but this has not proved evolutionarily disadvantageous for them as their are fewer predators in the regions they inhabit with which they would need to deal with.
Sunlight Arrowhead (formerly just Arrowhead)
The Sunlight Arrowhead has doubled in size compared to its ancestor, the Arrowhead, thanks in part to a diet rich in a wide variety of planktonic species. With little direct competition in its niche, it has managed spread along the coasts of Barlowe and Dixon, and they now thrive in the temperate to tropical waters. There presence alongside other species of Arrowheads has begun to put pressure on several species of distantly related Rorms. While the latter have long since been established in the waters of Sagan IV, the evolutionary adaptations of the Arrowheads, such as their improved feeding structure and tiny stinging cells for incapacitating larger prey, have given them a definitive edge over them.
The exoskeletons of the Sunlight Arrowheads have evolved a smoother carapace in order to make them more hydrodynamic. In addition, their tails are now completely encased in the aragonite-infused chitinous shell, allowing them to deliver more thrust with each flick. Finally, the mandible-like tusks have further extended, and can even be brought together with the top of the "mouth" in order to create a tight seal in order to prevent prey from escaping the tentacled maw within.
Beyond these morphological changes, the Sunlight Arrowheads are similar to the Arrowheads in regards to their diets and reproductive strategies.
- - -
Twilight Arrowhead
Evolving rather closely alongside its surface dwelling cousin, the Twilight Arrowhead features much of the same internal features and anatomy as their ancestors, from which they have split. Differences, however, do exist. For one, they are capable of producing clicks by smacking their tusks against the sides of their head. The sharp sound produced bounces off distant objects, and the sightless Twilight Arrowheads will then detect the returning vibrations in order to aid them in navigating through water, in a matter not unlike a weak form of sonar. This complements both their chemosensory senses as well as their primitive capacity to detect bioelectric signals.
Adults have small, notably thinner patches exoskeleton along their sides where they can form small bioelectric currents and - unintentionally - flashes of light so that they may more effectively communicate with one another. This light come about by sudden retractions of muscles visible through the chitin, which is intended to produce a bioelectrical signal but also forces oxygen into the regions. Luciferin-like compounds, present in the flesh, are triggered by this sudden flush of oxygen to begin undergoing luminescence. In the darker depths of the ocean, and with le need to compete against surface currents, the Twilight Arrowheads are not as powerful a swimmer as their surface-dwelling kin, but this has not proved evolutionarily disadvantageous for them as their are fewer predators in the regions they inhabit with which they would need to deal with.
Updated description for the Leatherback Pipent:
"After countless generations of having evolved to thrive in an aquatic environment, it would seem odd that one lineage of pipents has instead chosen to split from its kin and return to life on land. And yet, with the current devastation that has wracked Western Drake and depleted it of many large fauna, the Leatherback Pipent has found a unique set of conditions under which it could thrive nearly unopposed, with a rich bounty of small fauna and flora upon which they can feed. Already showing signs of shedding its aquatic vestiges, such as exchanged its flippers for legs, it now support itself with the aid of its ancestral namesake, the nails. Said nails have nearly fused together, provided it with additional support to stand upright, even if it has come at the cost of limiting the mobility of its limbs in general, and with a specialized pair on each leg functioning akin to a hoof in nature. In regards to defense, they have evolved a thick leathery skin - not unlike the heavy hide of a rhinoceros of earth - that encompasses the back of their heads, backs, and breathing holes. These are especially useful in females, who during the mating season in early spring will compete amongst one another for the best potential male mates, as the ratio to the males to females is twelve. Males are distinguishable from females due to their smaller size. They mate once every two years, and the young are born several months later and cared for by the mother until they are old enough to survive on their own.
They have evolved tail spikes in order to defend themselves, using them to strike out at any potential threat as as well as when combating one another over a mate. They still retain a slightly amphibious nature, in that they are capable of swimming to a limited degree, though nowhere near as efficiently as their ancestors did. However, it has been sufficient enough to allow them to spread far and wide, allowing for four separate breeding colonies to arise on Day, Dacmat, Jim, and Mini Jim Tundra Islands, as well as several minor ones on the mainland as well."
"After countless generations of having evolved to thrive in an aquatic environment, it would seem odd that one lineage of pipents has instead chosen to split from its kin and return to life on land. And yet, with the current devastation that has wracked Western Drake and depleted it of many large fauna, the Leatherback Pipent has found a unique set of conditions under which it could thrive nearly unopposed, with a rich bounty of small fauna and flora upon which they can feed. Already showing signs of shedding its aquatic vestiges, such as exchanged its flippers for legs, it now support itself with the aid of its ancestral namesake, the nails. Said nails have nearly fused together, provided it with additional support to stand upright, even if it has come at the cost of limiting the mobility of its limbs in general, and with a specialized pair on each leg functioning akin to a hoof in nature. In regards to defense, they have evolved a thick leathery skin - not unlike the heavy hide of a rhinoceros of earth - that encompasses the back of their heads, backs, and breathing holes. These are especially useful in females, who during the mating season in early spring will compete amongst one another for the best potential male mates, as the ratio to the males to females is twelve. Males are distinguishable from females due to their smaller size. They mate once every two years, and the young are born several months later and cared for by the mother until they are old enough to survive on their own.
They have evolved tail spikes in order to defend themselves, using them to strike out at any potential threat as as well as when combating one another over a mate. They still retain a slightly amphibious nature, in that they are capable of swimming to a limited degree, though nowhere near as efficiently as their ancestors did. However, it has been sufficient enough to allow them to spread far and wide, allowing for four separate breeding colonies to arise on Day, Dacmat, Jim, and Mini Jim Tundra Islands, as well as several minor ones on the mainland as well."
I would like for tummorsuses to be decanonized. I made them during my "this is alpha so I can do whatever I want" phase and they're not only implausible, but intentionally so, and I regret ever submitting them and wish they had been rejected.
To take the slot they filled in Generation 161, I submit this descendant of the Tamjack, which was extant at the time:
Tambuck (Scandonychotherium albus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Tamjack
Habitat: Jlindy Tropical Beach, Jlindy Tropical Coast, Dass Temperate Beach, Dass Temperate Coast, BigL Tropical Beach, BigL Tropical Coast
Size: 2.5 meters long
Support: Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet: Herbivore (Tlukvaequabora, Marbleflora, Snotflora, Carnurtain, Olltooka, Tethered Mine Layer, Double Bubblgea, Harp-Hum, Greater Droopgea, Flashkelps, Pioneer Raftballs, Pinprong, Mainland Fuzzpalm, Obsidibend, Carnosprawl)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Fur)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Placental, Milk)
The tambuck split from its ancestor, the tamjack, when some floating nests drifted further east into the waters surrounding the supercontinent. Unlike the tamjack, the tambuck does not drift far out to sea, instead living among tlukvaequabora mangrove-reefs which encircle Dixon. It is a somewhat better swimmer than its ancestor; its spikes are now mobile and can be pulled flat against its body as to not interfere with swimming. It is also a decent climber, with each of its three-toed feet bearing a semi-retractable, semi-opposable thumb, which allows it to wander among tlukvaequabora roots and logs that rise above the water's surface. As a tamjack, the tambuck is somewhat intelligent and has advanced instinctive nest-building capabilities.
The tambuck is named for its enlarged incisors, which it uses to bite through flora. They do not grow continuously, unlike a rodent's teeth, so their large size ensures that they last at least as long as the tambuck's natural lifespan. It primarily feeds on aquatic flora, but it may venture onto the beach to consume flora found there as well. Tambucks without nests will also travel to beaches in search of good wood for nest construction. Tambucks are naturally monogamous and generally live as small family groups consisting of a mated pair with young, though they are not territorial and will interact amicably with neighboring families.
Though the tambuck still constructs radial basket-like boat-nests, these are mostly immobile and set among the mangroves where they will not drift away. Instead of dispersal, the floating nest now serves a new purpose--protection of its young. The pouch was a vestige of their ancestry because tambucks are placental and their young outgrow it quickly, and it created an unnecessary limitation on their ability to feed and doomed a mother to either starvation or drowning her babies if her mate were to die. So, the tambuck completely forgoes the pouch and can leave its offspring behind in the nest while foraging for food. As the nest is floating, it isn't in constant contact with any surface from which parasites or small predators might crawl on board. The sun beating down onto the nest keeps it warm enough that the young babies won't be chilled to death before their mother returns and they can nurse. The pouch is not completely lost, but now serves to streamline a mother tambuck's underbelly by containing her teats, somewhat like a built-in bra. The pouch and enlarged mammary glands are only present during late pregnancy and while nursing, as is the case in many Terran mammals.
The tambuck reproduces more often than its ancestor, giving birth to 2-4 babies at a time every 1-2 years. Tambucks gestate for 6 months, take 3 years to reach full size, and, barring early death by disease or predation, they can live for up to 30 years.
To take the slot they filled in Generation 161, I submit this descendant of the Tamjack, which was extant at the time:
Tambuck (Scandonychotherium albus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Tamjack
Habitat: Jlindy Tropical Beach, Jlindy Tropical Coast, Dass Temperate Beach, Dass Temperate Coast, BigL Tropical Beach, BigL Tropical Coast
Size: 2.5 meters long
Support: Endoskeleton (Bone)
Diet: Herbivore (Tlukvaequabora, Marbleflora, Snotflora, Carnurtain, Olltooka, Tethered Mine Layer, Double Bubblgea, Harp-Hum, Greater Droopgea, Flashkelps, Pioneer Raftballs, Pinprong, Mainland Fuzzpalm, Obsidibend, Carnosprawl)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm (Fur)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Placental, Milk)
The tambuck split from its ancestor, the tamjack, when some floating nests drifted further east into the waters surrounding the supercontinent. Unlike the tamjack, the tambuck does not drift far out to sea, instead living among tlukvaequabora mangrove-reefs which encircle Dixon. It is a somewhat better swimmer than its ancestor; its spikes are now mobile and can be pulled flat against its body as to not interfere with swimming. It is also a decent climber, with each of its three-toed feet bearing a semi-retractable, semi-opposable thumb, which allows it to wander among tlukvaequabora roots and logs that rise above the water's surface. As a tamjack, the tambuck is somewhat intelligent and has advanced instinctive nest-building capabilities.
The tambuck is named for its enlarged incisors, which it uses to bite through flora. They do not grow continuously, unlike a rodent's teeth, so their large size ensures that they last at least as long as the tambuck's natural lifespan. It primarily feeds on aquatic flora, but it may venture onto the beach to consume flora found there as well. Tambucks without nests will also travel to beaches in search of good wood for nest construction. Tambucks are naturally monogamous and generally live as small family groups consisting of a mated pair with young, though they are not territorial and will interact amicably with neighboring families.
Though the tambuck still constructs radial basket-like boat-nests, these are mostly immobile and set among the mangroves where they will not drift away. Instead of dispersal, the floating nest now serves a new purpose--protection of its young. The pouch was a vestige of their ancestry because tambucks are placental and their young outgrow it quickly, and it created an unnecessary limitation on their ability to feed and doomed a mother to either starvation or drowning her babies if her mate were to die. So, the tambuck completely forgoes the pouch and can leave its offspring behind in the nest while foraging for food. As the nest is floating, it isn't in constant contact with any surface from which parasites or small predators might crawl on board. The sun beating down onto the nest keeps it warm enough that the young babies won't be chilled to death before their mother returns and they can nurse. The pouch is not completely lost, but now serves to streamline a mother tambuck's underbelly by containing her teats, somewhat like a built-in bra. The pouch and enlarged mammary glands are only present during late pregnancy and while nursing, as is the case in many Terran mammals.
The tambuck reproduces more often than its ancestor, giving birth to 2-4 babies at a time every 1-2 years. Tambucks gestate for 6 months, take 3 years to reach full size, and, barring early death by disease or predation, they can live for up to 30 years.
Coolsteph could you do your normal species review on Tambuck please? (Mni said it was okay to insert an unrelated species in their place)
I was planning on doing that today, but tried to prioritize some real-life matters. I suppose I'll do my review a few hours early.
". It is also a decent climber, each"
With each.
"built-in bra".
...that's...questionable phrasing. I would rather not connect six-eyed alien otters with such private female undergarments. (Despite the fact I hope to someday give Flunejaws loincloths made by Silkruggs, loincloths seem to cause different reactions when it concerns alien fauna wearing them.) Just ending the sentence at "her teats" is better.
". It is also a decent climber, each"
With each.
"built-in bra".
...that's...questionable phrasing. I would rather not connect six-eyed alien otters with such private female undergarments. (Despite the fact I hope to someday give Flunejaws loincloths made by Silkruggs, loincloths seem to cause different reactions when it concerns alien fauna wearing them.) Just ending the sentence at "her teats" is better.
| QUOTE (Coolsteph @ Jun 26 2021, 06:36 PM) |
| I was planning on doing that today, but tried to prioritize some real-life matters. I suppose I'll do my review a few hours early. ". It is also a decent climber, each" With each. "built-in bra". ...that's...questionable phrasing. I would rather not connect six-eyed alien otters with such private female undergarments. (Despite the fact I hope to someday give Flunejaws loincloths made by Silkruggs, loincloths seem to cause different reactions when it concerns alien fauna wearing them.) Just ending the sentence at "her teats" is better. |
I thought "built-in bra" might be an acceptable comparison with at least a slight humorous aspect due to its brevity, unexpectedness, and complete accuracy. I've spotted a number of bra gags in recent cartoons targeted towards small children, so it's not like it's something that's avoided like the plague in anything trying to be family-friendly. (Loincloths also probably aren't the garment I would use as a male analog to a bra, but that's a whole different discussion)
I've made the other edit.
Wait, hold up. How exactly is a flap of skin that serves roughly the same mechanical purpose as a bra less appropriate than a creature evolving to literally wear clothes that cover up its genitals? One of those things has considerably more sexual implications than the other.
EDIT: After getting a little bit of outside input, I've added in a clarification that the pouch and teats are only present in late pregnancy and while nursing. They don't have permanent breasts. My question still stands.
EDIT: After getting a little bit of outside input, I've added in a clarification that the pouch and teats are only present in late pregnancy and while nursing. They don't have permanent breasts. My question still stands.
| QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Jun 26 2021, 08:57 PM) |
| Wait, hold up. How exactly is a flap of skin that serves roughly the same mechanical purpose as a bra less appropriate than a creature evolving to literally wear clothes that cover up its genitals? One of those things has considerably more sexual implications than the other. EDIT: After getting a little bit of outside input, I've added in a clarification that the pouch and teats are only present in late pregnancy and while nursing. They don't have permanent breasts. My question still stands. |
Well, it wouldn't "evolve to wear clothes". As the concept stands, the loincloth-Silkruggs would become symbiotes that catch and eat bloodsucking insectoid fauna on the host. The loincloth-webs wouldn't be permanent. They'd fall off or be consumed by the Silkrugg if damaged too much or if overly soiled, which would consistently occur. There would be other sorts of limits on what the loincloth-Silkruggs could do, such as possibly only making webs during peak bloodsucking seasons. It would be an interesting bit of fairly-plausible whimsy. The phenomenon would be based on various bloodsucking fly species targeting tender areas, and, well, officially male Spondylozoans have some highly vulnerable such areas now. (Though the loincloth-Silkruggs would also have female Spondylozoans as hosts, of course.) Flunejaws wouldn't even have protective hair. Perhaps a later descendant of the loincloth-Silkruggs would specialize in other often-parasitized areas. However, as things are, there aren't quite enough bloodsucking insectoids yet, even if there logically would be. It's just a description now, since I would be developing several other submissions first.
EDIT: Given Flunejaws' lifestyles are very different from cows and other ungulates, which would surely make them less vulnerable, I'll probably have to change the concept.
I have no objections to the concept, and it looks like every checkbox is met for approval, except I think this is probably new genus
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