Vinacrawlers

As time marched on and species changed, the vinacrawler remained virtually unchanged, even as the world above it was utterly transformed over millions of years. As increased predation from ever increasing numbers of predators started to threaten their numbers, the vinacrawler was faced with two options: go big or go home. In response, the vinacrawler traveled further out into places where the local organisms didn't know what to make of them. And in this brave new world, they flourished. Over the millions of years, the descendants of the vinacrawler have populated the ocean floors above, numbering in millions of individuals.

Vinacrawlers vary in both coloration and appearance, with some individuals being nearly indistinguishable from their ancestor in coloration. However, no living specimens of their ancestors remain, having been completely replaced. Individuals have various adaptations to fit into several different niches, with some advertising toxicity (top, Osfrontis codithandi) or using camouflage to deter predators (bottom, Osfrontis indominus). With the ones that advertise their toxicity, these species gather their toxins by eating certain kinds of microorganisms such as Lituswush, Mangalix and Toxiwhexia as well as bits of dead animals, with the toxins being separated from the organisms they eat and incorporated into their flesh. Their toxin gives their flesh a foul taste and eating one of these vinacrawlers will give whatever eats them indigestion and/or symptoms of a mineral overdose that can last for days at a time. While most species that live in the midnight zones of the oceans retain their eyespots, some species (middle, Osfrontis tartarus) have lost their eyespots, which still rim the tops of the mouths of most species. A single constant among all species is several yellowish chemical sensors below the rims of their mouths. Another constant is the noticeably larger breathing vents, with the larger size allowing for the gathering of more oxygenated water. Vinacrawlers have yet to voyage into the abyssal zones of the oceans of Sagan, with the pressure being too great for them to bear yet.