Brachiosidae

Brachiosidae
A type of basal Celerantid, this group is a widely successful group that has not diverged too greatly from their ancestors 300 million years ago, yet have a few major changes to their body plan. Meet the Brachiosidae (which literally translates to "arm-mouth"). The group as a whole reside in the tropical to temperate zones of the ocean in saltwater. About half the species are herbivorous, whereas the other half occupy mostly omnivore and a few carnivore niches. They range in size from the size of a human fist, to the size of a human themselves. This small clade of Celerantids, like most other Celerantids, have 8 fins and a tail for movement in the water, spiracle- like openings in the side of its body, olfactory organs on the side of the head, 3 proboscis', external reproduction, a cartilaginous skeleton, and bony armor. What sets them apart however is their derived central proboscis, pseudopupilated eyes, and a high degree of intelligence.

 The center proboscis has evolved into an arm-like apparatus that no longer connects to the digestive system, rather it is used for manipulation of its environment as well as other uses. All members can use their singular "arm" for holding food and items for self-use or for defense. Many members also have "lips" or even finger-like projections to help secure a grip even more without having to wrap its proboscis around. Another use that all species have is the ability to store any food or materials in its arm, as the derived proboscis is still hollow from when it was used to consume. Members of Brachiosidae can sometimes be seen with their arm humorously bloated with items, such as marine Polyspeculates, (they fill a similar niche to Earth's coral). There used to be lineages that had a bifurcated arm-proboscis but they have long since gone extinct. A few species are capable of taking the storage ability even further, by firing it out as a projectile! This is trait is only shared by a small group within Brachoisidae that include herbivores and the only carnivores. They will collect items like smooth stones inside their arm proboscis to keep for later in the case of self-defense or for hunting. When a projectile is needed for firing, the arm proboscis squeezes and contracts back like a spring, keeping the rest of the ammo nestled in the back while one projectile will be held further up the proboscis. In fast action, the proboscis arm will retract and shoot the projectile forward. Though other member of Brachiosidae do not have this adaptation, they can still wield and throw a weapon or projectile by holding it. All members can also suck in and expel water into their arm proboscis for uses of blowing away or “spitting” sediment, though these suction abilities can be limited due to the organ being a one opening system. This same sucking motion can be used to more easily scoop up items for storage as well.
 Another great adaptation is its binocular vision, with further helps with seeing enemies, their surroundings better, and better focus. This is only possible by the creation of a pseudo-pupil in the compound eye, which in its self is a single large lens among hundreds of other smaller lens in each eye. This combination of compound and singular eye type allows good vision with the combined benefits.

Finally, there is the intelligence of the group, which is much higher than most creatures on Wallace II(comparable to cuttlefish or octopus on Earth in intelligence but smarter and more tetrapodal in intellectual nature). All species are capable of tool use and all species live in groups that consist of related and unrelated members. They communicate very efficiently using body movements, pheromones, and popping-like noises made by their spiracle gills by moving them in undulated movement when expelling or sucking in water. Thus, all members of the group form a close knit bond with one another that ensure them greater protection from enemies and greater providence in times of scarcity. One omnivorous species has even been recorded of crafting weapons and tools as well as taking on the practices of farming certain organisms around them and creating homes for a community, as well as having an incredibly complex language system, making them most likely a sapient species. This highly intelligent species, Hospitohabilis sapiens(scientific name may not be quite right but its supposed to mean “Wise and Handy Foreigner”) span over the entire range of the Brachiosidae group and have had huge success. Few creatures can destroy an established living area and its “people” as they can wield well crafted, primitive weapons from the materials around them. Instead, the highest threats come from the environment itself and other clans. Though it is not common as they are a relatively peaceful species that more often than not gets along with others cultures, if one clan preforms a heinous act to another clan like theft, murder, or high degrees of insults and disrespect, they may go to war. No members of the species are known to wear clothes but many do have trinkets and jewelry of sorts that are worn. One very large clan/tribe has been observed farming various marine Polyspeculates on the east tropical cost of the large continent of the west, which could be the next stage in their cultural evolution in a way similar to how the agricultural revolution effected us humans, though probably it will change the species in a very different way due to their aquatic lifestyle.

The diet for most of Brachiosidae ranges from free floating Polyspeculates, aquatic plant-like/coral-like Polyspeculates, algae and kelp like organisms, aquatic fungi-like organisms. Species that are omnivorous or carnivorous will also or only eat the various unplant-like Polyspeculates and most Dispeculates that are of reasonable size.

Most members tend to stay near from where they were born, mainly near coral reef-like and kelp forest-like habitats where there is plenty of cover as they tend to not be very fast and can not swim for lengthy amounts of time, though there are a couple select species who are adapted to a pelagic lifestyle. These pelagic species however are often small, no larger than a human fist, and use suction to grab plankton into their arm-proboscis and then inset their other 2 proboscis’s for feeding. None are deep sea dwellers. Reproduction is done sexually, with competition for other mates being settled by extravagant posing, dancing, and ‘singing’ with their spiracles. Some species even have flamboyant and colorful fleshy spines on the head or tail or both. Some species also have multi-colored arm proboscis’ as well. Mating is strange as both the male and the female will insert their eggs or sperm into the others’ arm-proboscis, to which than the male inserts his collected eggs into the sperm-filled arm of the female. This ensures that all the eggs are incubated as well as ensuring their protection with the female. The female then takes these eggs and find a little nook or nest (doesn't matter where, just needs to be sheltered) and guards them. The male will switch with the female in guarding the eggs while each mate will take turns providing food for the other. For most species, there is not an official mating season, and broods are taken care of communal by the social group. When the eggs hatch, they will be taken care of by most members of the social group but predominately by the mated couple. Mated couples stay with each other for life or take a different partner every so often as it depends on the species.