Barbed Cadi

Barbed Cadi
Creator	Zenith
Information
Status	Extant
Common Name(s)	Barbed Cadi
Zones	25
Roles	Base-consumer
Classification
Genus	Lumicauda
Species	Lumicauda bractaxillus
Evolution
Date	September 12th, 2019
Ancestor	Lumicauda lavus
Descendants	No results

20 cm (head to tail)

Lumicauda bractaxillus is a large relative of Lumicauda lavus.

Barbed Cadi (L. bractaxillus) reproduce almost identically to their ancestors. After a male attracts a female with its blinking light, the couple finds a large patch of one of the various species of aquatic plants that grow in Zone 25. The female lays a clutch of 10 - 15 eggs, which the male fertilizes externally. 50 - 60% of hatchling usually survive to adulthood.

Barbed Cadi feed on the many aquatic plants found in Zone 25, and do so now more efficiently with their barbed jaws, which allow them to tear through leaves and stalks more efficiently. Main sources of prey are K. anchorus, K. erroda, A. okeanus, K. primaflotens, K. submergus, and O. kerensis.

Barbed Cadi have increased in size, due to them being able to feed more easily with more advanced jaws. The inside of their jaws now feature a set of barbs that allow them to tear through plant matter more efficiently. These jaws have a higher surface area than their ancestors', which results in microbes and phytoplankton becoming stuck to the surface, which usually end up being consumed. Defense-wise, they're able to fight off predators such as Synacodurus spp. approaching from the front using their jaws, and protect themselves from behind by "curling up" their back three armored plates, and using their many fins to keep their back pointed towards the potential threat. Speaking of their hind their plates, the signature glowing bulb at the end of Barbed Cadi's tail has become fused with the final plate and has become embedded in it. This leads to a lower chance of it being damaged, and has also allowed for the end of the Barbed Cadi's tail to flatten into a primitive fluke structure that allows for more energy efficient movement in water. Their lights also blink in a different pattern from their ancestors, in order to avoid being attracted to the wrong species.