Common Knightworm



With the advent of predators in the deepest depths of the ocean, the binucleusdetritivorus thornworm found itself a common prey item to the Carpotesta devoratori. As a result, various defenses were selected for. The knighworm's primary defense is its spikes, which run along the dorsal side and ventral edges of its four armored segments. These make it difficult for the Carpotesta devoratori to successfully digest, as the spikes can puncture the walls of its stomach as the worm thrashes violently to escape. However, the worm rarely survives this ordeal, and its valiant attempts to escape are often in vain. In order to better detect its prey, the knightworm has developed four small, simple eyes on its anterior segment, allowing it to detect the lights of passing carpotesta species. When it detects the lights of a carpotesta species, the worm will contract its segments together, covering the exposed flesh between its segments. This behavior makes it more difficult for the Carpotesta devoratori's enzymes to access its flesh and digest it. In order to avoid competition from its ancestor, the knightworm has taken to a predatory lifestyle. Its ancestor's horns have become articulated, antenna-like limbs that are covered in chemoreceptors specialized in detecting the waste of goliathpseudopodians. It will then inch up to its prey by extending the flexible joints between their segments and contracting them, with its ventral spikes giving it greater traction. Its attacking behavior varies depending on its prey species. It will lunge at smaller species like the waving pseudosi by extending all of its joints outwards and bear down on it with its radula-based mouth. If the waving pesudosi is too high to reach, it will attempt to scrape it off with its antenna-like limbs before capturing and consuming it. Larger species like the supergoliathpseudopodia and goliath shev are broken apart with the pointed ends of its antenna-like limbs and then consumed. However, the goliath shev tends to be more difficult to break apart due to its armor, and often requires the knightworm to perpetually attack it until it pierces an opening between its brick-like armor segments. The knightworm also feeds on mats of mega binucleusdetritivorus. In order to conserve energy, the knightworm is generally sluggish unless it detects prey or is being attacked. This allows it to conserve its energy in its sparsely-populated, poorly-oxygenated deepwater environment. In order to further cope with the lowered oxygen levels, it has developed a dedicated spiracle-based respiratory and open circulatory system. The spiracles are located on the inner edge of the armor segments. When the knightworm closes its segments, it will cover its spiracles. While this reduces the number of openings exposed to the Carpotesta devoratori's digestive fluids, it will also limit the time it can remain in a defensive state, as it will slowly suffocate if it remains in said position for an extended period of time. Specimens are occasionally found in the twilight zone, and show some traits that deviate from the populations in the midnight and abyssal zones. They tend to be slightly larger and more active, and feed primarily on the massive sheets of mega binucleusdetritivorus that propagate there.