Perian sea monster

The Perian sea monster was the largest carnivorous aquatic mammal living in the oceans of the planet Peria Sal. Little was known about these giant creatures, and there were many myths and legends regarding their origins and habitats. What little was known about them terrified researchers as well as Perian citizens and denizens across the galaxy.
== Characteristics ==
The Perian sea monster had a long, sinewy body that was almost feline in appearance, with hind legs used for movement on the ocean floor and massive finned claws to propel it through the water. Lacking a layer of fat or blubber, it was poorly streamlined, and not fully adapted to swimming. Males could reach over 230 meters in length, with females being at least 180 meters in length. Being mammalian, females nursed their young for about a year. Females bore only one pup per birth. The average lifespan of a Perian sea monster was thought to have been a hundred and thirty years, although their elusiveness made any accurate study difficult.
Their limbs were part flippers, part claws; scientists theorised that they had only recently evolved from land-based ancestors. Some believed the large, bulbous organ located toward the end of the sea monster's tail to be a possible remnant of life on land, though the exact function of the organ is unknown. There were even reports of Perian sea monsters surfacing in swamp lakes and attacking herds, and unsubstantiated reports of them sunning themselves on sandbars. Unsurprisingly, scientists had never been close enough to observe their eating habits, and had never discovered how the beasts sustained their gargantuan bulk. The Perian sea monster life cycle was a mystery, as they were dangerous, although reclusive, predators. To most natives of Peria Sal, Perian sea monsters were more of a myth than an actual creature, mainly because they had never been observed in the wild and reports of their washed-up carcasses were rare.
== Behaviour ==
The Perian sea monsters were carnivores. In order to maintain their gigantic bodies, those voracious creatures needed to feed constantly, and they often devoured entire schools of fish.Category:Species