Crimson Saddlebug

With the evolution of predators in the climbing knightworm's range, the climbing knightworm needed to adapt or die out. The result was the crimson saddlebug. Because of the crimson saddlebug's superior defenses, the climbing knightworm was replaced.

In order to discourage predation, the crimson saddlebug has developed some defensive traits. The first is its red coloration, which allows it to blend in with the krelp stalks it often inhabits. The other are the four large spikes that protrude from its second segment, which not only make consuming it very painful, but also makes it harder for the crimson saddlebug to fit in its predators' mouths. The second and third segments found in the ancestral climbing knightworm have fused to reduce the number of vulnerable spots on the crimson saddlebug. It has also developed a faster form of locomotion, in which it walks across the seafloor instead of slowly inching about. This is facilitated by its two-jointed legs, which end in a flattened base that allows for a more stable footing. At the end of the feet are climbing spikes, which aid in scaling krelp stalks. Their front limbs have been modified into chelicerae that allow them to carve out chunks of mycelium. Their flexibility allows them to be maneuvered into the spaces in between perfectogon crystalmats. This allows them to feed on the mats while travelling between krelp. The chelicerae will also be used to move food to the mouth, which is aided by the antennae.