Vellicantus
Over several thousand years, some Vellicator that dwelled within Evo Reef made the journey towards the adjacent coastlines of Ovi, lured in by the warmer waters and more plentiful food sources. The descendants of these migrants eventually evolved into what is now known as the vellicantus. They differ from their ancestors in several ways, both physically and behaviorally, in order to be better adapted to its new environments.
As their ancestors were better adapted to deeper waters, the internally chitinous eyes of the vellicantus are still not fully adapted to the brighter light of the shallows, so they are instead more active at night and, depending on the population, either head to deeper waters of the twilight zone or hide in nooks and crevices dotting the shallows during the day. Their elongated, serpentine forms allow them to fit in many small places, and their enlarged tails - which bear a small, fleshy extension only present in the females and which produce pheromones to attract males during the breeding season - allow for quick bursts of speed when necessary. Their chitinous scutes that cover the portions in-between the larger chitinous plates provide additional protection against the other predators native to the region, as well as allowing for some degree of flexibility at the same time. The UV bulbs, located on both the top and bottom of their heads, have become reduced in size, but are so embedded in fleshy turrets that allow for a slight degree of motion, thus allowing them to be aimed in various directions.
The hunting strategy of the vellicantus is notably different from the vellicator. While the latter was more of a nipper, weakening prey by striking at the gills, the former has adapted instead to its new environment by becoming an ambush predator. Slinking its way slowly between the twisting columns of the stilted root systems of the Landfall Grove, Crystal Gazebo, and their kin, the vellicantus is constantly vigilant in its quest for food. When it detects potential prey, either with its chitinous lens or its electroreceptors, it strikes forward, rapidly opening its otherwise tightly sealed tentacle-maw. This sudden action creates a small vacuum, sucking in prey before they can then become ensnared by the multiple rows of sharpened fangs that line the insides of the vellicantus' tentacles. Prey items are partially broken down this way, before being further processed by a row of grinding plates surrounding the mouth and then swallowed relatively whole.
In regards to reproduction, the vellicantus no longer rely on broadcast spawning in order to ensure the continued survival of their species. Instead, once the monsoon season begins to peter out, females and males will congregate along the tropical coastline, amassing amongst the tangling root structures that cover the shallows. When enough amass, the females will begin to release pheromones from the glandular structure located in their tail, until eventually, several males begin to follow her. Once this occurs, she will then find a secluded portion of root - spots located in the shade are particularly sought after - and begin to lay clutches of sticky eggs on them; each clutch can contain up to a hundred individual eggs, and females will often produce several of these throughout the breeding season. The males will then begin to fertilize them in mass, after which they will return to the open water and head south towards the subtropics. The females, however, remain
It is at this point that the females displays a degree of parental care not yet found in their kin. The female will gradually move between her clutches and "blow" on them by repeatedly, undulating her tentacles rapidly so as to force oxygenated water upon them and to prevent harmful microbial life from infesting and killing them. After about a week of this, the eggs eventually hatch and immediately seek the safety of the roots, whereupon they will feed on larval forms of what will eventually be their prey once they mature. The females, meanwhile, show no more parental care and will instead head north towards the subtropics located there. The young themselves will perform a similar migration once they are mature enough, though that will take around six months.