Amfivioslontus

Amfivioslontus
Information
Status	Extant
Common Ancestor	Thalassiosthalassas epipediceratos
Members	No results
Classification
Family	Thalassiidae
Genus	Amfivioslontus

Amfivioslontus is a genus of amphibious, tetrapodal moxipods.

History

The first Amfivioslontus species evolved from Thalassiosthalassas epipediceratos on April 19th, 2019 in Zone 22. They have since spread to Zone 14 and Zone 23, and can be found wandering around on land in Zone C.

External features

Amfivioslontus species have hardened scales on their back, with even harder scales on the tops of their heads. On either side of their heads are upright, yellow, horn-like scales that play a role in their mating displays.

Their mouths contain up to two-hundred teeth, which are used for grinding up food and warding off attackers. Its small teeth are organized in single rows on the upper and lower jaws, and are leaf-shaped to help triturate polyph matter.

While their distant ancestor Oslontus disambiguus only had two legs, Amfivioslontus is tetrapodal. The front legs are generally larger than the back legs, which have been steadily increasing in size since they first appeared as small nubs in Thalassiosthalassas paratiritis. While all four legs are used for movement on land in Amfivioslontus species, the back legs are generally used to help cover their eggs with mud to hide them from predators. Only the front legs feature webbed feet.

Reproduction

Amfivioslontus species reproduce sexually, with external fertilization.

While intimidation was used for mate selection in their ancestor Thalassiosthalassas paratiritis, this method was dropped once their yellow horns started forming as seen in Thalassiosthalassas epipediceratos. Females now select mates according to the size and sheen of their horns, where larger and shinier horns are preferred. When mating season begins, up to 20 males line up along the coasts of Zone 22 and Zone 23 to expose their horns to the sun, emphasizing their shininess. After a female selects a mate, they nuzzle each other and find a suitable location to lay eggs.

Eggs are generally laid in nests in the mud underwater, with batches ranging in size from 15 to 25 eggs. The eggs are coated in a layer of mucous, and the nests are often covered with a layer of mud for protection. The mating pair will take turns guarding the nest while the other looks for food, and stay together until the young are old enough to fend for themselves. The mucous from the eggs coats the young when they hatch, helping with deal with changes in water conditions as they mature.