Gonimorphus

## Gonimorphus ithaca

Latest Mutations: Buries, lose umbrella lobe, lose membranes

Gonimorphus shelters in the sediment at the bottom of rivers, only peering out to filter food from passing water, because it is otherwise easy prey.

Status: Unlisted

Habitat: Subpolar Moderate Continental Arid Barrens, Polar Cool Continental Arid Barrens, Polar Cool Continental Very Arid Barrens

Niche: Benthic Filter-Feeder

Size: 2.3cm (length)

Nutritional Need: (84NP/10) x 2.3/10 = 2NP

Food / Oxygen Requirement: (2 x 0.6) x 0.9 = 1NP / 2NP

Abilities: Moderate UV Resistance. Osmoregulation (Fresh Salinity Tolerance), Circulation, Excretion, Permeable Skin.

Perception: Chemoreception 2 (Senses chemical particles from 5m away). Blurry Sight (One side, no depth perception).

Stats: Respiration 2 (Cutaneous Respiration), Coordination 1. Digestion 1 (Can Break Down Multicellular Matter), Immunity (Immunity Physical Barrier), Support 1, Intelligence 1, Swim Speed 1.5 (Cold Environment: 0.7), Stamina 1.5, Strength 1. Filtration 2. Evolution 1 (4 votes).

Intelligence / Behaviour: Processes information and responds based on fixed behaviours. When feeling pain; duck into burrow. When feeling pain; swim away. When hungry; look or sense for marine detritus or phytoplankton. When ready to reproduce, sense for pheromones and move towards them, then attempt to mate with the source. Keeps rear buried into soft sediment.

External Features: The soft skin of the cylindrical body is covered in yellow pigments. Around the mouth are eight cirri with chemoreceptors on them. On one side of the body is a pinhole eye. An umbrella-shaped lobe surrounds the head and four membranous lobes running down the body have cillia on them.

Internal Features: Each cell contains lysozymes in addition to enzymes. Six gill slits line each side of the head. Muscles run down each side of the body. The gastrointestinal tract from the mouth has a stomach with digestive juices followed by intestines leading to the anus. A brain encased in head connects to one nerve cord which branches into a network of nerves, with a notochord running alongside. It hosts male and female gonads. The hemacoel cavity, open circulatory system has violet blood containing hemerythrin and anti-freeze proteins. Protonephridia, connected to hemacoel, expels waste through pores.

Internal Features: Behind the head are six gill slits. An open circulatory system carries fluid across the body, and anti-freeze glycoproteins travel in the fluid. There is also a nephridium and muscles lay longitudinally along the body. A tube from the mouth meets the intestines, which leads to the anus. A brain in the head is connected to the nerve cord with branches of nerves, with a notochord running along side it. In the male, a testes can be found and in the female an ova can be found.

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

Castes/Phases: Male and Female (Identical). (Evolution +1)

Locomotion: Cilliated Rowing.

External Features: Yellow pigments (1 + 1NP, Moderate UV Resistance). Skin (2 + 1NP, Permeable Skin, Cutaneous Respiration, +1 Respiration, Immunity Physical Barrier). Mouth (0 + 0NP, +0.5 Filtration). Chemoreceptors (1 + 1NP, +2 Chemoreception). Pinhole Eye (2 + 5NP, Blurry Vision). Cirri (2 + 1NP, +1 Filtration). Cillia (2 + 0NP, +1 Swim Speed)

Internal Features: Gills (3 + 1NP, +1 Respiration, +1 Stamina). Open Circulatory System (2 + 5NP, +Circulation, +0.5 Stamina). Anti-Freeze (1 + 1NP). Nephridium (3 + 10NP, Osmoregulation, Excretion). Muscles (3 + 0NP, +0.5 Walk Speed, +0.5 Swim Speed, +0.5 Support, +0.5 Strength, Allows Crawling). Stomach (3 + 7NP, Can Break Down Multicellular Matter). Intestines (3 + 5NP, +1 Digestion). Brain and nerve network (6 + 14NP, +1 Coordination, +1 Intelligence). Notochord (4NP, +0.5 Support, +0.5 Strength). Testes (1 + 5NP). Ova (1 + 5NP).

Temporal Range: R.168 - Present (Nocturnus Stage of the Oliverian)

Distribution: Ithaca

Lifespan: 2 years

Predecessor: Masticephalus recentibus

Classification: Pictolexipotusinae (sf), Pictolexipotusidae (f)

Discoverer: StealthStyle