Attenbora

## Attenbora parapodius

Latest Mutations: Parapodia

This polychaete worm lives in a burrow in the ocean sediment, keeping itself locked in place with its bristle-like chaetae and washing water in - along with food - via the parapodia. These are what mark it out from its predecessor, and are fleshy protrusions paired along each segment of the body housing stiff chaetae. At the time of it's appearance, Attenbora is actually the largest species on Ezta. It is common in soft sediments of the upper 500m of temperate ocean in the northern hemisphere.

Status: LC

Habitat: Temperate Shallows, Temperate Upper Ocean

Niche: Benthic Filter-Feeder

Size: 14cm (length)

Nutritional Worth: (9.2 x 7 =) 129NP

Food / Oxygen Requirement: 61NP / 103NP

Abilities: Permeable Skin. Below Freezing Metabolism. Fluid Freeze Prevention. Bitter Taste.

Perception: Blurry sight. Detects chemicals up to tens of metres away.

Intelligence / Behaviour: Processes information and responds based on fixed behaviours. It knows to eat and avoid being harmed.

External Features: It has a thin, elongated segmented body with blue pigmentation and a proboscis. Each segment has a pair of parapodia, stiff ended by a chaetae. The thin skin layer is covered in chaetae. A mouth and chemoreceptors sit on the proboscis. There are two pinhole eyes on the front of the head.

Internal Features: Each cell contains lysozymes in addition to enzymes. Hydrostatic muscles surround the hemacoel. A network of vascular blood vessels circulates blue blood containing hemocyanin, bitter fluid and anti-freeze proteins. It is pumped by several small hearts. The gastrointestinal tract from the mouth has a stomach with digestive juices followed by intestines leading to the anus. A brain encased in the head connects to two nerve cords which branch into a network of nerves. It hosts both male and female gonads. Protonephridia, connected to hemacoel, expels waste through pores.

Locomotion Type: Parapodia. Hydrostatic Crawl. Hyponome Burst. Dig.

Reproduction: Sexual, Ovuliparity (External Fertilisation). 1,000 eggs. Hermaphroditism.

Castes/Phases: None.

Physical Stats: Speed = 2, Stamina = 3, Defence = 0.5, Strength = 1, Support = 0.5, UV Resistance = Weak, Filtration = 3, Digging = 1

Systemic Stats: Osmoregulation = 1 (Quite high Salinity), Respiration = 2 (cutaneous respiration), Digestion = 2 (meat), Circulation = 3, Excretion = 1, Coordination = 1, Reflexes = 1. Immune System = 1 (physical barrier)

External Features: Elongated (1/2 nutrition calculation length) body with blue pigmentation (3NP, +Weak UV Resistance), proboscis. Each segment has a pair of parapodia (3NP, +1 Speed, +2 Filtration, +1 Respiration). Thin skin layer (3NP, +1 Immune System, +1 Respiration, +Permeable Skin) covered in setae (3NP, +1 Digging). A mouth (+1 Filtration) and chemoreceptors (1NP, +2 Chemoreception) on proboscis. Two pinhole eyes (4NP, +Blurry Sight) on each side.

Internal Features: Each cell contains lysozymes (3NP, +Below Freezing Metabolism) in addition to enzymes. Hydrostatic muscles surround hemacoel (15NP, +1 Speed, +1 Strength, +1 Support). Network of vascular blood vessels (12NP, +2 Stamina, +2 Circulation) circulates and blue blood containing hemocyanin, bitter fluid (+0.5 Defence, +Bitter Taste) and anti-freeze proteins (3NP, +Fluid Freeze Prevention). It is pumped by several small hearts (6NP, +1 Stamina, +1 Circulation). Gastrointestinal tract from mouth has stomach with digestive juices (4NP, +1 Digestion) followed by intestines (4NP, +1 Digestion) leading to exit. Brain (6NP, +1 Coordination) is encased in head connects to two nerve cords which branch into network of nerves (9NP, +1 Reflexes). Male and female gonads (6NP, +Sexual Reproduction, +Hermaphroditism). Protonephridia (4NP, +1 Excretion, +1 Osmoregulation), connected to hemacoel, expels waste through pores.

Temporal Range: R.157 - Present (Nocturnus Stage of the Oliverian)

Distribution: Cosmopolitan

Predecessor: Ahyponomus ahyponomus

Classification: Atteboraidae (sf), Ahyponomusidae (f), Annelida (so), Critteroidea (sc), Bilateria (p)

Lifespan: 2 years

Discoverer: StealthStyle