Splendid Grimhive & Skint

**General Info:** The Splendid Grimhive (*Truvelo splendis*) is an enigmatic denizen of the ocean separating Media Insula and Occidentis. Upon first glance, it appears to be nothing more than a bizarre fish but is, in fact, a hyper-derived Sidobosia. Ranging in size from 2-2.5 meters in length and weighing roughly 600-800 kg, these large creatures seem to make easy prey for most predators of the deep. But they have a very strange defense: their entire abdominal cavity plays host to hyper-aggressive Gomphobians known as Skints (*Alvipisces irritus*).

**Grimhive Anatomy/Info:** *T. splendis* is a large creature that is seemingly unaware of its surroundings. Indeed, it lacks eyes, barbels, or any obvious electroreceptive sensors, and spends most of its time drifting along without much intent. But that does not make it incapable of detecting danger. The large 'head' of the organism contains a melon like structure that constantly pings with sonar. It hears these pings thanks to a system of pressure receptors located around this melon.

What is indeed so odd about this sidobosian is that its limbs form its 'head' and 'tail.' The main body is located in the center of the organism and is a conjunction of ribs and cartilage that forms a bony cage. However, this structure does not completely enclose the gut.

The mouth of the Grimhive is located underneath the forward facing limb in order to receive food from the assisting Skints. The large gut is a sack with a series of ridges that form a complex spiral within to aid in digestion. Several kidneys and a large liver deal with any unwanted material that is often given by Skints as they do not always feed their hive correctly. The mouth is also on an extendable proboscis that can be extended to feed on any casualties within the hive sack.

The hive sack itself is a fascinating structure. Having six ports for the Skints to enter and exit from and multiple chambers inside to support the viscous swarm. The Skints themselves deposit eggs into only a seperate sack located right behind the 'head' of the Grimhive which serves as an incubation chamber. This incubation chamber is extremely controlled as to achieve optimal conditions for the Skints developing within. However, it is not perfect, limiting the range of the Grimhive to warmer waters where it can efficiently stabilize this internal environment.

The sack itself performs a subtle role in the digestive system as it also tastes whatever goes into and out of the ports. It also can taste death whenever a Skint passes within its walls. However, this sack prevents the Grimhive from feeding in any conventional manner and it is forced to rely on the Skints for virtually all its sustenance. But not all. Because it is a sidobosian, the Grimhive can produce its own food to some extent using its dorsal fins and 'glider'. This allows an abandoned Grimhive to still have a chance of lasting until it can acquire another stock of Skints.

**Skints detail:** Skints (*Alvipisces irritus*) are the caretakers of the Grimhive in virtually every aspect of its life. They feed it, protect it, even groom it. But they are a fickle species. It is not uncommon for a Grimhive with unfavorable hive conditions to become abandoned or even killed by their once beloved companions. Skints feed primarily on plankton, sessile organisms and other smaller fishes and their appearance varies greatly across the Grimhive’s range because of this. Some Skints are only four to 16 cm while others can be up to 60 cm long. Their spines are foldable, which is useful as to not damage their host. Despite the extreme external differences, their genetics are as easily mixed similarly to ring species and as such where able to spread with the hives across their range. They often travel quite some distance from their hive to collect food and rely on the Grimhive’s echolocation pings to relocate it.

**Reproduction:** The Grimhive generally has a litter of pups held within the same cavaty as the Skint's offspring to ensure their development. After exiting this womb of sorts, the young will attach to their mother via a juvenile suction disk until they reach a sustainable size to swim freely. However, they still remain near as to benefit from their mother's Skints until they are large enough to support hives of their own. All the while developing the giant hive sack necessary to do so. Their mouths also remain outside their sack until they reach Independence, at which time, they will retract it for the rest of their life. All Grimhives are hermaphroditic and hold their genitalia within the primary hive sack as to receive and deliver sperm via the Skints as they exchange during breeding gatherings. The reason for the bright colors on both fish and hive is to attract more Skints during these gatherings and so mother more offspring. Other Grimhive’s Skints, attracted by such displays, will likely become permanent residents in the new hive. The Skints are so attracted to the colors of the Grimhive that an entire hive’s school will abandon their hive for a more colorful individual. However, too many Skints and they will abandon or kill their hive in favor of less crowded accommodations. The Skints themselves will also reproduce during such events as gatherings, however, they have no breeding season or conditions for breeding as the hive provides all that the young need.

**Evolution:** Grimhives are part of the Tetraradiata and are a secondarily aquatic species that are the only remaining genus of Fish Hives. Their evolutionary history dates back to when Tenebris and Occidentis were connected by a land bridge. The rivers of said land bridge where teaming with life and as such, predators abounded. Of those predators was the original Fish Hive also known as a fish cage which lured in fish using hair like mats to provide good breeding grounds. The fish would come and lay their eggs underneath the pressure sensitive mouth and be devoured. This continued until it was found that the trap can be bribed. By feeding the trap consistently, fish were able to breed in peace beneath the satiated jaws. This became more and more advanced until fish and trap formed a symbiosis of which became the first Fish Hives. These eventually overtake the rivers and lakes and soon saw themselves as greater competition than the other life forms of their aquatic home. This caused a radiation of Fish hives into many different niches of which came the estuary inclined ancestor of the Grimhive. However, it was the advance of the sea that brought ruin to this once diverse class of organism. Grimhives only survived thanks to a chance resistance to salt water and were then capable of spreading out into the sea. However, the fierce, non-Fish Hive competition left the Grimhive as the last of its clad, waiting for the chance to radiate once more.