Fauna of Neroth

 

Many species of fauna were native to the waterworld Neroth. As more than 90% of Neroth's was covered by water, the vast majority of these were aquatic or at least partially amphibious. Curiously, Neroth was home a large number of species that qualified as megafauna.

Amphibians

• Despite their crocodilian appearance, crocomanders were in fact very large salamanders. Their long, tapering snouts and jaws studded with fangs resembled those of crocodilians found on other worlds. Crocomanders were amphibious, coming to land mostly to mate or bask in the sun, and spent the majority of their lives in

Birds

• Fireplumes were birds known for their bright and striking coloration, melodious singing, and courtship dances.

Repativans

• The reptavian kitewings dwelled high on rocky cliffs or mountains, but spent the majority of their lives gliding and diving for food. Kitewings possessed avian and reptilian features, namely both a scaled hide and feathers, and jaws instead of a true beak.

Crustaceans

• Brineclaws were a species of sizeable crustaceans known for their striking blue and yellow chitin exoskeletons. A pair of mandible-like horns, reminiscent of certain species of beetle, dominated their faces. Passive scavengers, the brineclaw's tepid demeanor changed when fighting for territory or in mating season. Their meat was a delicacy on Neroth.
• Scissorbeaks were a massive species of crustacean, somewhat resembling a cross between an eel and a shrimp. They were the apex predator species of Neroth and fearsome animals that preyed upon other species of megafauna. Their name is due to a total of four serrated forward-facing mandibles protruding from their face, with a pair at the top and bottom of the mouth. These mandibles enabled the scissorbeaks to manipulate and grip prey - or literally slice and flay them alive. Their jaws were no less fearsome, consisting of forward-swept saw-like teeth. Scissorbeaks were dangerous, albeit solitary creatures, and only rarely attacked seagoing vessels.
• Like the much larger scissorbeaks, shorestalkers resembled a cross between a crustacean and an eel. Foul tempered creatures, shorestalkers were primarily ambush predators that lurked in the shallow lagoons of Neroth. Their forebody was segmented and armored by an exoskeleton, possessing a pair of stubby arms tipped with crushing chitinous claws, whereas their rear was slender and finned like an eel's.

Fish

• Bako fish were a bizarre species of fish that lacked true fins, instead having six "legs." They used bioelectricity to ionize the surrounding water, keeping themselves aloft in the water. Bako had a number of amphibian qualities, including a frog-like face.
• Cephalosharks were a species of shark, distinguished by cephalopoid features. At first glance, their blunt heads superficially resembled that of a cetacean's. Their mouth was hidden by a series of flaps which splayed open when hunting, revealing a protruding jaw and a sharp, pointed beak surrounded by four fleshy tentacles, with which the shark captured prey. These tentacles earned them the nickname "squid sharks."
• Jumprays were small rays, related to their larger seawing cousins. They were curious and friendly, albeit solitary, animals. Like seawings, jumprays were known to regularly interact and "play" with swimmers. Their flesh was tough and unpalatable, as well as poisonous. Jumprays got their name from their breaching behavior, leaping well past the water's surface.
• The bright and colorful palo solfish were known for their size, placid demeanor and movement, as well as their nearly flat disk-like shape.
• Rangarang were boomerang-shaped fish, noted for their odd locomotion and vertically orientated physiology. They primarily fed on coral.
• Seawings were a species of large rays, with impressive wingspans. They were social herd animals, known to make migrations across the planet in herds numbering the hundreds. Despite their size, intimidating dark coloring and a poisonous barb at the end of the tail, they were virtually harmless and friendly. Seawings were known to freely interact with swimmers and divers, often "playing" with them.
• Vesh were a species of bottom feeding fish, being mottled green in color with blue fins. Vesh lacked eyes, using bioelectric organs to sense electric currents and fields in the water. Their heads were dominated by a mass of lumpy, stubby tentacles.

Insects

• Shimmerwings were large insects, with two pairs of translucent glass-like wings that produced a high-pitched ringing sound while in flight. Shimmerwings had long serpentine necks, which they used to pluck prey from the jungle canopies or from the water. Thanks to specialized fine hairs that covered their feet, shimmerwings were able to "skate" across the surface of even sea water. They were completely aquatic in their larval stage but remained almost entirely airborne once they reached maturity. They were preyed upon, and preyed on in return, by kitewings.

Mammals

• Bandar were small arboreal semi-sentient primates that lived in the uppermost jungle canopies. Social, curious and intelligent enough to rudimentary tools, bandar were protected from poaching or trafficking by Nerothian law due to their semi-sentience. Due to their facial features being felinoid in appearance, they were colloquially called "cat-monkeys."

Reptomammals

• The reptomammalian suldra had winding striated bodies. Dwelling in the mangroves and jungle canopies of Neroth, suldra were patient ambush predators who fed mostly on birds or bandar monkeys. While their bodies was as long and powerful as a snake's, the suldra had felinoid faces complete with whiskers, and four short stubby legs that ended in clawed paws.

Reptiles

• Dragon turtles
• Reefback turtles