Annakacygna (SciiFii)

The sea swan (Annakacygna), also known as the flightless sea swan and the Annaka short-winged swan, is a genus of flightless marine swan that originally lived from the Miocene of Japan as two extinct species, Annakacygna hajimei and Annakacygna yoshiiensis, and the genus itself was once extinct, but has since been brought back from extinction by SciiFii and introduced throughout the modern coastlines of China and Japan to help boost biodiversity. Both species of sea swans display a series of unique adaptations setting them apart from any other known swan, including a filter feeding lifestyle, a highly mobile tail and wings that forms a cradle for their hatchlings in a fashion similar to mute swans. Additionally, they use both wings and tail as a form of display. Both species can be distinguished from each other by their feather colors and sizes, with the common sea swan being covered in pale pink feathers and growing to be about the size of black swan, while the greater sea swan is darker gray in color and growing larger in size than the mute swan in both size and weight. Both species of sea swans are highly derived filter feeder. Subsequently, the beaks are lined with soft lamellae to support this planktivorous diet. The feet of both sea swan species are similar in morphology to that of diving birds like loons and grebes, having the same narrowing of the tarsometatarxus, but lacking the shortening of the femur. The webbed feet are passively folded in life. The thickened bones help the birds' lifestyle. Pachyostotic bones are commonly associated with diving, as they make the animal heavier, but in the case of both sea swan species they help stabilize the animals at sea while foraging. Both the common and the greater sea swans lay from 4 to 10 eggs. The female broods for around 36 days, with cygnets normally hatching between the months of May and July. The conservation status of both sea swan species is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts, the sea swan's wide range and their tolerance to many of the human activities.
Category:Animals
Category:Species
Category:SciiFii