Roth
The Roth has risen into the sunlight to become Vailnoff’s first large faunal organism, measuring 1.28 meters long. Its eyes have developed into simple pinhole eyes with a dark grey protective calcite disk surrounding them. The eyes have migrated to be much higher on its arms, reducing risk of injury to them when feeding. It has lost the ability to retract its body into its shell, but has instead gained a thickened skin on the outside of its arms to increase their durability. Its nervous system has consolidated, with optic and body nerves leading to a its centralized brain located behind the heart. This brain is comparatively 20% larger than its ancestors and facilitates its ability to plan out its actions. Its four siphons have gained considerable flexibility and can facilitate jet propulsion in many directions. It travels shell first when moving slowly to new areas and will move arms first when attacking prey. It has developed a jaw composed of four chitinous plates, which interlock when closed. This jaw developed first as a filtering structure, combing the baits on its arms of food. Eventually it began to consume larger and larger prey and used its arms for capture of prey to then deliver them to the mouth.
Its main prey are the various Nautstar species which school in the sunlight waters but it also feeds on other small species such as flutterworms and Dappershells. On occasion it will even hunt the next largest fauna in the region, the Prickle Gill. Prickle Gill sport formidable defenses in sharp spines and, for some members, venom. To counteract these defenses the Roth utilizes speed and ambush to circumvent them. By attacking from below, out of its line of vision, and rushing with a burst of speed to attack the gills of the Prickle Gill, it can land a blow and hopefully stun and damage the Gill before it can put up its defenses. This strategy is only successful 30% of the time and failed hunts can leave the Roth greatly injured, so the Roth will usually target old and weakened individuals.
Reproduction takes place yearly with Roth congregating together above seamounts to breed. Eggs and sperm are released into the currents and will hatch into free swimming young in a week with the shells already formed, hatchlings measure only 5 mm long. They will reach 5 cm after 2 months and will grow to full size in 4 years, reaching sexual maturity at 2 years. They can live upwards of 20 years and have no natural predators once they have reached full size.