Kurajaku

Disclaimer: The Kurajaku is a fictional animal from Keenan Taylor's Tales of Kaimere.

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Earth Ancestor: Megaraptora sp.\*

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Dinosauria

Order: Megaraptora

Family: Apeirovenatoridae\*

Genus: Tektopotamus

Species: T. thalattovinanax

### Description

The Kurajaku is the largest theropod on Earth or Kaimere, reaching sizes of 75ft in older males and an average of 45ft in females. and is most recognizable by its mane of seagrass-like feathers. Kurajaku unlike most dinosaurs are not buoyant and do not excel at swimming like their distant semi-aquatic cousins, this may seem to be a hindrance but due to most habitats the Kurajaku inhabits being quite shallow is of little issue. Kurajaku like other megaraptorans are endurance hunters, using their short yet powerful legs and tail to sprint on the sea bed, implementing their sails as a keel. Kurajaku are also a host species to an entirely unique species of algae, which help them camouflage. Kurajaku are ecosystem engineers, as do to their size in every habitat they will stir up sediment and carve channels for other species to pass through. Interestingly, Kurajaku and beavers share a reluctant acceptance for each other, with Kurajaku breaking down damns, and beavers obstructing Kurajaku pathways, to account for this, beavers have been shown to build 'slides' for Kurajaku to use if need be. Though they do not frequently come within range of one another, Kurajaku do occassionally compete with Motomazor and Whaler Sharks.

Common prey of the Kurajaku- Keenan TaylorA Kurajaku preening itself- Keenan TaylorA Kurajaku demonstrating its unique hunting technique- Keenan TaylorKurajaku in conflict with a rare Grandmother shark- Keenan TaylorA Kurajaku making use of a beaver made slide to get around.A Kurajaku observes a sub adult megalodon off the drop off of the inland sea- Keenan Taylor
### Habitat

Shallow waters of the Known World and beyond.

### Phylogeny

The Kurajaku is the largest and most basal species in the Robust Monarch clade of kaimeran megaraptorans, most closely related to the Uktan.

### Ontogeny

Kurajaku start their lives a dull brown with little to no head ornamentation and lacking the long algae hosting feathers of adults,. Due to their size, they hunt much smaller game than adults, and this is shown in their body plan, which is much more equipped for pursuit predation in the water column than adults, this menu occassionally contains humans.

### Sexual Dimorphism

Female Kurajaku are significantly smaller and have less pronounced ornamentation than males. Females are smaller than males due to them needing to attend the land more frequently than males to protect the nest.

### Human Relations

Kurajaku, though not common man eaters, are still avoided, feared, and revered for their size and ferocity. The Pakardiant, when the time of year comes, will sometimes steal food from Kurajaku during the bountiful Dalejad’ha run, which can even leave a full grown Kurajaku with leftovers. Due to the Kurajaku's habit of carving their environment, they allow for the people of the Seridic Wetlands, the Serid, canals for faster travel between villages.

### Book Appearances

* Drowned in Water and Blood
* Grandmother's Roots

### Redesigns

The Kurajaku has had 4 known redesigns. In the early stages of the project, it was depicted as a large crocodilian. around 2019, the design was changed to be a large spinosaur. This choice began to stand out as the project developed, and as a result, the kurajaku became a megaraptoran, which it remains to be.

A previous design for the Kurajaku-Keenan TaylorAnother previous design for the Kurajaku-Keenan TaylorThe 3rd redesign of the Kurajaku, now in color and depicted as a megaraptoran- Keenan Taylor4th Design of the Kurajaku- Keenan TaylorCurrent Kurajaku Design- Keenan TaylorA Kurajaku in hot pursuit of Argunite, a prolific Kentarim Sailor