Bowser’s Helix

Bowser’s Helix
Creator	OviraptorFan
Information
Status	Extant
Common Name(s)	Bowser’s Helix
Zones	5
Roles	Base-Consumer, Detritivore, Predator
Classification
Genus	Filterohelix
Species	Filterohelix spinatesta
Evolution
Date	January 27th, 2021
Ancestor	Clam Helix
Descendants	No results

8-13 cm long

As the populations of Viciousfruit (Fructohelix malificus) exploded in numbers, their relatively uneven matchup against most of the local helids caused massive population crashes and put natural selection in hyperdrive. With Viciousfruit being a constant threat in Zone 5, a population of Clam Helix (Filterohelix clamus) that developed projections on their shells that could aid in deterring predation against Viciousfruit would begin to thrive and become a new species.

The Bowser’s Helix primarily spend their lives buried in the soil, using their elongated outer tentacles to capture whatever particulate matter floats by (where their higher abundance of fine spines help with capturing these particles and bringing them towards the mouth). Much like their ancestors, they can be either solitary or found in groups filtering food together. When they do occasionally dislodge themselves to travel a distance, they are not exactly competent walkers and can't swim and thus are vulnerable to predators such as Pygmesangnathus sandapygmeus or Viciousfruit. Out in the open and not buried in the sediment, they have to rely on the camouflage of their shells to resemble mere rocks to avoid detection but are otherwise helpless.

In the sediment, however, the Bowser’s Helix are very well capable of defending themselves. When attacked, they will fully retract their delicate outer tentacles and partially retract their thicker inner tentacles while burying themselves deeper in the soil. The thick spines around the outer rim of the shell acts as a passive defense and can help prevent predators from getting a grip. This is usually enough to deter a Pygmesangnathus sandapygmeus, but when it comes to the Viciousfruit they have to use their second defensive strategy. Although the serrated claws on their inner tentacles were originally used simply to capture food particles and bring them to the mouth in their ancestors; the inner claws of the Bowser’s Helix have become larger and sturdier, becoming better adapted to cut flesh which is put into effect when they counter attack a Viciousfruit and potentially cripple their assailant. If their active defenses and spiked shells play their parts right, it often makes them not worth the time of predators who could simply prey on easier game such as Flipfruit.

They breed asexually and they carry their eggs within their shells. When the eggs hatch the babies come out of their parent shell and they feed on any organic material under the substrate until they're big enough to be on the surface.