Common Roufo

Split off from the Terrorstar, the Common Roufo sought out a more carnivorous diet, adjusting its jaws so that when opened they created suction—not for tearing into large prey, but for pulling small prey into its mouth. Like a terran ray-finned fish, its jaws protrude when opened, causing water to rush in. It does this using modified lateral mandible bones, the same ones previously used to help close the mouth, which rotate to push the upper jaw outward. Its pelvic ring has been functionally modified into a skull, which supports this more complex jaw structure. As a result, its face no longer gets pulled inwards when it closes its mouth; the changes also made its jaw-spikes and raptorial arm obsolete, so they are reduced. Its diet mostly consists of smaller asterzoa, as they are the most common organisms in its food size range.

The Common Roufo has also developed a proper blood-pumping organ. This runs along the underside of its anal vertebrae; similar to its cousin, the Starcrusher, it has developed rib- and neural spine-like extensions of its vertebrae to protect this. Its eyes have also advanced into simple camera eyes.

The Common Roufo is otherwise quite similar to its ancestor. It has an internal cartilaginous skeleton, magenta blood, keratinous "teeth" lining the inside of its mouth, and it gives live birth to radially symmetric offspring.