Cephalotheca

## Cephalotheca limus

Latest Mutations: Antennae, Bigger

Irwinia irwini evolved from Saccenta marsupium and is a bizarre flexible arthropod with three pairs of appendages, strong claws and mandibles as well as a pair of stingers that deliver a brief pain. It lives in the mostly murky rivers and ponds so on top of its four pairs of eyes it has antennae with sensory hairs that detect movement nearby, while it waits in its foxhole. The strangest adaptation, that is shared by its close relatives, is the pouch through which the young hatch. It is a major predator in the waterways of Tartarus.

Status: Unlisted

Habitat: Freshwater & Brackish Water in Tropical Very Humid Barrens, Tropical Monsoon Barrens, Tropical Wet-Dry Barrens, Tropical Winter Semi-Arid Barrens, Tropical Arid Barrens, Subtropical Very Humid Barrens, Subtropical Monsoon Barrens, Subtropical Wet-Dry Barrens, Subtropical Winter Semi-Arid Barrens, Subtropical Arid Barrens, Subtropical Very Arid Barrens, Warm Continental Arid Barrens, Warm Continental Very Arid Barrens, Warm Continental Arid Barrens, Subpolar Moderate Continental Arid Barrens, Subpolar Moderate Continental Arid Barrens, Polar Cool Oceanic Summer Semi-Humid Barrens

Niche: Predator, Opportunistic Scavenger

Diet: Any fresh meat it can get.

Size: 23cm (length - head to tail)

Nutritional Need: 185 x 23/100 = 36.2NP.

Food / Oxygen Requirement: 36.2 x 0.25 = 9.1NP per round (Needs to intake 9.1/0.8 = 13NP per round)/

Abilities: Anti-Freeze. Exothermic. Foul Taste. Large-Body Circulation. Liquid Excretion. Low Pressure Tolerance. Moults. Osmoregulation (Freshwater, Brackish Water). Solid Excretion.

Perception: Sight 2 (sees clearly up to 5m away at the sides, blue and green perception, monocular vision). Night Vision 1 (at sides). Wide Vision 1 (wide field of view from sides that catches peripheral movement, monocular vision). Chemoreception 2 (chemicals 5m from mouth).

Stats: Buoyancy 1 (Adjustable Buoyancy). Coordination 2. Desiccation Resistance 1. Dexterity 1. Digestion 3 (100% Meat, Digests 80%). Evolution 1. Filtration 1. Immunity 1. Jumping 1. Pierce Strength 3. Reach 1. Respiration 1 (Ram Ventilation). Stamina 3. Strength 1. Support 2. Swim Speed 1.7. Toughness 3 (4 - carapace). UV Resistance 3. Walk Speed 1.5.

Intelligence / Behaviour: 1. Hungry > Search for food. 2. Food > Attack with mandibles and chela. 3. Tired > Rest. 4. Pain > Swim away. 5. Maturity > Reproduce. 6. Light > Go somewhere dark and rest.

External Features: A calcified exoskeleton with a carapace and two other segments over the cephalothorax covers the the skin, which contains mud-brown melanin pigments. A pair of antennae with chemoreceptors protrude forwards. Around the mouth is a pair of strong, horizontal mandibles. It has two eyes (large camera eyes with calcite lenses that change shape and that have no blind spot) either side of the head. Behind these on each side is a (typical apposition) compound eye. Blue and green come cells can be found in all these eyes. Two chelipeds with strong claws are held at the front of the body. There are four pairs of paddle-lined legs. The rear of the body has an exoskeleton fantail and below that a hyponome.

Internal Features: Each cell in the body contains a relatively small number of piezolytes. Aquatic spiracles, one on each side behind the head lead from the outside to the inside. Glands near the skin secrete a foul fluid. Blood vessels run all throughout the body and in these vessels is an antifreeze (xylomannan fatty acid and polysaccharide). A system of muscles stretches across the body. Near the lower wall can be found the gonads as well as the large protonephridium and near the upper wall is the enclosed, one-chambered swim bladder. Through the mostly lower half runs the monogastric digestive system, from the mouth through the tubes to the stomach and coiled intestines. Ganglia in the head connect to a dual nerve cord along the dorsal half, which has many nerves branching off it to encompass the whole body.

Reproduction: Sexual Reproduction. External Fertilisation. 1,000 eggs per spawning.

Castes/Phases: Almost identical male and females.

Locomotion: Active (20NP). Usually moves by undulating fan tail while paddling with legs and propels itself with the hyponome. Can walk over surfaces.

External Features: Calcified Exoskeleton w/ Carapace (10NP, +4 Toughness, +1 Desiccation Resistance, +2 Support, -1 Respiration, -1 Stamina, +Moults, -Cutaneous Respiration, -Permeable Skin, -Wriggling). Skin (3NP, +1 Immunity, +1 Respiration, +1 Stamina, +Stationary Respiration, +Cutaneous Respiration, +Permeable Skin). Strong Pigmentation (2NP, +3 UV Resistance). Antennae (4NP). Chemoreceptors (2NP, +2 Chemoreception). Mandibles (5NP, +3 Pierce Strength, +1 Digestion, +1 Dexterity, +1 Reach). Mouth (0NP, +1 Filtration). Large Camera Eyes w/ blue and green cone cells (11NP, +2 Sight, +1 Night Vision, +Monocular Vision, +Binocular Vision, +Blue Perception, +Green Perception). Compound Eyes w/ blue and green cone cells (11NP, +1 Wide Vision, +1 Sight, +Monocular Vision, +Blue Perception, +Green Perception). Chela (5NP, +1 Dexterity, +3 Pierce Strength, +1 Reach). Legs w/ paddles (5NP, +1 Walk Speed, +1 Jumping, -0.3 Swim Speed, +Paddling, +Walking). Fan Tail (4NP, +1 Swim Speed). Hyponome (7NP, +0.5 Swim Speed).

Internal Features: Piezolytes (5NP, +Low Pressure Tolerance). Aquatic Spiracles (0NP, +1 Respiration, +1 Stamina, +Ram Ventilation). Foul Fluid Gland (7NP, +Foul Taste). Closed Circulatory System (10NP, +2 Stamina, +Large-Body Circulation). Anti-Freeze Compound (2NP, +Anti-Freeze). Muscular System (7NP, +1 Strength, +0.5 Walk Speed, +0.5 Swim Speed, +Wriggling). Caste Gonads (7NP, +1 Evolution, +Sexual Reproduction, +Sexes, +External Fertilization). Swim Bladder (7NP, +1 Buoyancy, +Adjustable Buoyancy). Large Nephridium (19NP, +Liquid Excretion, +Osmoregulation). Monogastric Digestive System w/ coiled intestines (19NP, +2 Meat Digestion, +2 Veg Digestion, +1 Immunity, +Solid Excretion). Centralised Nervous System (19NP, +2 Coordination).

Temporal Range: R.220 - Present (Atrobocean Stage of the Oliverian)

Distribution: Tartarus

Lifespan: 1 - 2 years

Predecessor: Sclerocephalus lutus

Classification: Sclerocephalusinae (sf), Gempliaoridae (f)

Discoverer: StealthStyle