Viciousfruit
20-25 cm long(from the back of the shell to the tip of its facial limbs)
As they thrived on the seafloor, a population of Beakfruit (Detrihelix ramphops) began to take advantage of other benthic slow-moving muscals such as the Clam Helix (Filterohelix clamus) and the Common Floor-Crawler Helix (Helix solureperous), due to intraspecific competition and the fact these organisms were relatively easy to hunt down. As time pogressed, they began developing adaptations to better aquire their more nutrient-rich prey, which also allowed them to grow larger than their ancestors, eventually leading to a new species.
In order to acquire their more meat based diet, the Viciousfruit has evolved several different adaptations, from a larger and more hooked beak to more effectively tear flesh to a more pulled back shell to reduce drag(which developed since they need to be more active than their more detritus-reliant ancestors and will have to fight against the current at times while hunting). If their prey such as a Clam Helix puts up a struggle, the thicker skin and powerful tentacles help prevent injury and dispatching the victim quickly. Larger claws on the tips of the mouth tentacles along with a relatively new trait, the ability to bite with any real success, allows them to get the job done. To better detect prey and identify predators, its eyes have advanced into pinholes, accomplished by essentially making the concave cup bigger and bigger.
They are also still diurnal like their ancestors.
With the changes to its body and shell proportions, the Viciousfruit is not as good at retracting into its shell as their ancestors. Because of this, they rely on their dangerous mouth tentacles and bite to ward off predators such as a passing Spinagnathusensis sandapygmeus. Often enough, they partially dig their more vulnerable rears into the sediment while keeping their deadly weaponry in the direction of the assailant. If the predator tries to eat it, it will likely get its face torn up instead.
The Viciousfruit retains its ancestor’s egg pouch, breeding in the winter and protecting their eggs by placing them in the pouch. The pouch is not visible while it is in a relaxed position, but its opening may be exposed if it were to stretch out. The opening of the pouch is near its cloaca, and the pouch itself coils around its body.
Like the ancestral Beakfruit, the Viciousfruit feeds on biofilm and detritus as a juvenile with the gradual shift into their adult meat-based diets occurring as they mature. When an adult, they primarily will hunt prey or scavenge on carrion, but do still feed on detritus and seeds from time to time. They retain the ancestral ability to "float walk" on the sediment, but their larger size and weight allows them to also properly crawl if they wish.
