Kau Shark

Patrolling the shores and inlet rivers of the Amnisican coastline is an insidious and unsightly predator. Local folklore surrounding this beast refers to it as a horrific experiment gone wrong- though their teeth amongst the fossil record dull this notion. Despite their fetid appearance, they play a vital role in the marine ecosystems. Their unique abilities make them great controllers of populations. Only they can keep overpopulation of freshwater and saltwater predators in check. Today, they are still fairly common despite efforts by Mons to cull their populations in the Emerald Sea. Not that their flesh is particularly palatable anyway.

#### Physiology and Anatomy

A distant relation to other sharks is telling as the Kau Shark has more analogous traits to eels and catfish. Their bodies are fairly flexible, able to snake through the water in a carangiform motion. While this does hinder their top speed in open ocean, it makes them far more maneuverable amongst the reefs or around obstacles- not that their speed is too big of an issue as they’re able to match the speed of a thoroughbred horse for brief chases through the water. Kau Shark, while primarily saltwater animals, are able to make brief incursions into freshwater habitats. They can shed excess salt rapidly through waste, enabling them to venture into these habitats for up to a day at a time.

Predators, Kau Shark are active carnivores. Their sharp teeth jut outward to snag prey and prevent it from escaping, though they’re not often used directly in hunting. That honor goes to the horn which juts out from the snout. Using their muscular tails to initiate a charge, they drive their horn into their prey at extreme speed. At full speed, Kau Shark can puncture straight through chainmail or the chitinous armor of crustaceans. The underside of the horn is serrated so that the Kau Shark can make sweeping motions to cut into schools of fish. As this requires significantly less energy they opt to hunt soft bodied prey whenever possible. They’re notorious for their habit of attacking juvenile Urgunth and Or’gara for this very reason, putting them at odds with the two top order predators of the respective marine environments.

During spawning, males are incredibly competitive. Their horns act like display structures to advertise to passing females. This method may not always be viable as new males arrive in inlets to challenge their reign. Males conduct ‘jousts’ wherein two males will charge at each other with the intent to gore their opposition with their horn. These injuries can be fatal which is why many older males possess holes and lifelong scars in their fins and flukes. Females have about two pups each year who will reach adult size in just under a year. The maturity of a Kau Shark is clear as juveniles do not have horns and will progressively grow one over the course of two years.

#### Psychology

Collaborative but competitive, Kau Sharks can work either alone or in packs of up to six members. Given their wide prey preference, there’s room to adapt to new strategies. Different groups will adopt an individual prey preference to avoid conflict with other Kau Sharks. Despite not being that social they can often be found in great numbers on lower reefs. The only time Kau Sharks are territorial against other Kau Sharks is during the spawning season, controlling small reef-lined plots against other males. They may attack other organisms that get too close to their respective ranges but won’t hold an area against predators far larger than themselves. Toward sapient races, they’re largely indifferent but have on occasion attacked them out of mistaken identity or desperation.