Centilixo

Split off from Segmolixo, the Centilixo took the repeating segmentation to an extreme. With a grand total of 81 fins across 27 segments, this benthic organism looks more like a millipede or a velvet worm than like a fish. Its leg-like fins, reinforced with chitinous support structures, help it crawl along the seafloor, while its bioluminescent dorsal fins allow it to signal others of its kind. Its eyes have advanced into reflector eyes somewhat like those of a terran scallop; much like a scallop, if one were to look into its pupils, they would see exactly what the Centilixo sees. The reflective surface used for this is flexible, and the eye itself can thus be stretched or squeezed to adjust focus.

Like its ancestor, the Centilixo digs around the seafloor to scavenge for food. It has a pair of chitinous beak-jaws which it uses to break up larger pieces of food into something it can swallow, and melter detritis in its gut help it to break down crystal flora. It now mainly uses the upper pair of tentacles for digging, and they have gained chitinous claws that help with this; the lower pair remains unclawed and mainly manipulates food while it is eating, preventing pieces from easily falling out of reach.

Like its ancestor, the Centilixo communicates with others of its kind with bioluminescent spots that can be switched on and off. It is sexually dimorphic, with males having brighter spots than females. Mated pairs mate multiple times over the course of several weeks, with the female laying as many as 5000 eggs every few days. Though not the most intelligent organism, it is smart enough to interpret a variety of different signals from others of its kind. It is generally social and commonly found in small groups of 3-5 individuals.