Termincrawlers

Inanis capere, otherwise known as the Termincrawlers, or in Blackwater, Voidwalkers, are a species of remipedes related to I. concitus or the Voidcrawlers. They branched from the Voidcrawlers sometime during the Early Zamotzic due to the rising tectonic plates, forcing these fringe Voidcrawlers to shrink in size. They evolved to appear more like remipedes than their brethren, and became parasitic, sneaking into drinking water and infecting hosts.
== Biology ==
=== Anatomy ===
Termincrawlers, despite their much closer resemblance to common remipedes, are still very different from their other relatives. Their main body is segmented into an average of seventeen segments, the first segment is their head. They average at a size of 27.5mm in length. On the tail, are eight legs, eight function like teeth, gripping onto nearby things for dear life, and the front two are for capturing prey, dragging them into their usually barely visible mouth. Their facial features include a barely visible mouth, nasal cavities, and rhombus shaped eyes, usually with three lines branching out from them. On the back of the creature are three spines made of a keratin-like substance. 
=== Diet ===
I. capere, despite being parasitic, do not gain sustenance from their host. In reality, they can survive just fine without a host, but have evolved to do so due to ancestral preferences for larger prey. When not inside a host, Termincrawlers typically feed on algae, krill, and phytoplankton. They are extremely fast swimmers, so catching their prey is usually a breeze. For example, they have been observed to capture krill by zeroing in on the target, then swimming at top speed before grabbing the krill with their mantis-like legs. 
=== Parasitic Tendencies ===
Termincrawlers are a well known parasite in the southeast, possibly being linked to the famous Voidwalker incidents. The Termincrawlers, like Voidcrawlers, are extremely intelligent, but their evolution has prevented them from using their brains affectively This might also be due to dietary preference of larger animals, and thus, requiring better predatory functions. So, the Termincrawlers, evolved to inhabit hosts and intercept their neural pathways and entire nervous system, affectively taking control of the entire body. These infections are known to cause changes to people's physical appearance, although the cause for the side effect is still heavily debated. 
==== Host Preferences ====
Termincrawlers don't infect things randomly, but have preferences for hosts. For example, studies have concluded that Termincrawlers have the ability to be supported in cadavers, but have a preference for living creatures due to corpses being stiff. They also target large omnivores and scavengers, including hominids, because they may approach areas that make it easy for infection. After the Macmar Incident, Gen II conducted Terminyx tests on the water and concluded that Site A was infested, with one of the dinosaurs possibly being responsible for starting the outbreak; but this did not stop Gen II from continuing with recovery and rebuilding operations.
=== Predators ===
Predators of the Termincrawlers are hard to come across due to them being hard to catch, and most larger animals having evolved immune receptors to Terminyx, but there are those that stand out. Examples of Termincrawler predators are axolotls (and Olms by extension), some species of parrot, sea slugs, and the Queen Angelfish. Although barely noticeable, some parts of an axolotl's body may slightly shift color when digesting the parasite, whereas some parrots may have specialized beaks for smaller insects in water; sea slugs eat the parasite naturally, picking them up from the sand and soot, and Queen Angelfish are known to eat the parasite when cleaning other marine life; the Angelfish's digestive system may also be equipped to digest parasites such as the Termincrawler. So far, this is the farthest extent of predatory data on Termincrawlers, and further expansion may be necessary.
Category:Animals
Category:Traveler's Era