Dwarf Chainmail Shark (Hellfire Shark)

Artwork

### Language / Calls

Like most sharks, they have no organs for producing sound, but they do clack their beak-like jaws similar to shoebills as a form of communication

### Habitat

Ocens, Wetlands, Bays, Rivers.

The **Dwarf Chainmail Shark** (Osseaturpis pistrinfernus), also known as the Demon Shark, Devil Shark, or Hellfire Shark, is a species created and designed by Frostbite\_Carno. The hellfire shark inhabits the Jonah's Mythical Ark universe.

## Appearance and Anatomy

The dwarf chainmail shark is a large species of armored mackerel shark covered in large segmented bony keratin plates, and have unique flipper scale patterns on their pectoral fins and tailfins. They have 3 nasal horns and spiked brow ridges above, along with some spikes on their backs, which often makes it look like they have 3 or more dorsal fins. it lacks true teeth, instead having interlocking serrated blade-like edges of their skull armor lining the mouth, sort of like a beak. They lack pelvic and anal fins

Their armor is most commonly crimson red in color over most of the body, Usually coupled with a lighter underside, ranging from white to gray with darker blotches.

There is moderate levels of individual variation in dwarf chainmail sharks, ranging from many different shades of red, with the aforementioned crimson red, to blood red, to scarlet red, orangish red, and sometimes even hot pink to name a few. Melanistic and pseudomelanistic individuals are common among the species as well.

Also no two hell sharks will have the same flipper scale pattern.

These animals have eyes with black scleras with white slitted pupils.

## Ecology

### Behavior and Intelligence

**Official Description:** "They are much like their much larger cousins, but the dwarf chainmail shark is alot smaller, only a little bigger then an orca. They can swim in and out of saltwater and freshwater habitats but still prefer the ocean however, and are pack-hunters. Because of their blood-red color, fierce nature, and it's immense bone-crushing jaws, this beast is so frightening, some call it "The shark from Hell""

meet the Dwarf Chainmail Shark These armored sharks roam the oceans, bays, and river systems. at a glance they have convergently evolved with the dunkleosteus but unlike them they hunt in packs, they are highly social, usually either living in pairs or packs of up to 15 individuals. Day-to-day hell shark behavior generally consists of foraging, traveling, resting and socializing. these sharks feed together and work together to herd the prey. The sharks appear to be non-aggressive towards each other as they feed.

Even though some of them only eat fish, always be cautious. They are very dangerous to most humanoid species because unlike most other sharks they see humanoids as food, even large ones such as cyclopes aren't entirely safe, as they will swam like giant piranhas. there are no physical differences between the fish eaters and the man eaters so itś a flip of the coin if you encounter one. They are born killers. They can also curl themselves up in a ball like a pill bug and launch themselves at a larger opponent using their osteoderms as weaponry.

### Diet

They hunts in packs and their favorite foods are smallish to medium sized cetaceans like river dolphins, but also prey on mermaids, sirens, and whatever else can fit into their mouths.

### Reproduction

When it is the breeding season, different packs of dwarf chainmail sharks gather near sea caves or underwater volcanos to breed and raise their young. Males are typically larger, often with larger nasal horns, and If two individuals like each other they will begin the courtship display, they will circle eachother clacking their jaws showing eachother they are strong and would make worthy partners, if they both agree then they male will circle around to her and bites her tail, leaving a bitemark. A female dwarf chainmail shark with a bitemark on her tail is an indicator that she is taken and has a mate, or that she simply is not a virgin.

The male then comes along behind her and the two begin rubbing their bodies on one another, During breeding, males will bite on females to hold on, and they may bite on each others faces to show affection, this type of play during mating doesnt hurt either of them though because of how tough their armor is,What appears to us to be dangerous and aggressive behavior from our point of view seems to work for sharks though. At the end of the mating session, The male will release his sperm and the female will release her unfertilized eggs, usually 2 to 5 of them, and then the eggs are fertilized externally by the male.

The female will then scoop up the eggs in her mouth, and members of the same pack and their mates will carry the eggs to their designated sea cave or in the crater of their submarine volcano. where the pack communally watch their eggs and they are protected while they grow.

Once they hatch, the babies will be cared for and the pack will stay in the area for the next few months until babies have grown a bit, then they will all leave with their new little members of the family. About 2 and a half years later, the babies from the previous season will be sexually mature, and then they once again migrate to the sea caves and underwater volcanos, some will stay in the pack, some of them will leave to join new packs, and the cycle starts all over again.

## Trivia

* ]The name "Osseaturpis" means "Bony skin" and "pistrinfernus" means, "Hellish Shark"
* The dwarf chainmail shark's closest relative besides the regular chainmail shark is the salmon shark.

## Gallery

The Chainmail SharkA juvenile chainmail shark and a juvenile wave-shredder have a friendly encounter, both curious about the new creature before themChainmail Shark Concept ArtChainmail Shark Concept Art ( Colors and Patterns )