Grimfruit

Grimfruit
Creator	Alin
Information
Status	Extant
Common Name(s)	Grimfruit
Zones	5A, 5
Roles	Predator, Scavenger
Classification
Genus	Fructohelix
Species	Fructohelix cannibalus
Evolution
Date	July 14th, 2020
Ancestor	Beachfruit
Descendants	No results

Populations of Beachfruit (Detrihelix altumincolas) were driven to living on the shores of Zone 5A due to intraspecific competition and competition with Viciousfruit (Detrihelix malificus). They began relying on their lungs for respiration more as they spent more time out of the water causing it to become increasingly vascularized. The moisture chambers within the shell have grown larger to store more water. The more terrestrial populations started feeding primarily on carrion, even becoming aggressive towards the more aquatic populations of Beachfruit by slapping their shells and biting their flesh. This led to the Grimfruit (Detrihelix cannibalus).

Grimfruit grow 13-17cm long to give them a size advantage over Beachfruit. They have developed hardened bumps on their tentacles to protect them and to damage the shells of Beachfruit when they attack them. The aggressive behavior caused them to kill beachfruit which they would feed on. This led the them actively hunting Beachfruit by grabbing them with their tentacles and slapping the shell with one of the tentacles until it broke. Then they would use their beak to pick out the flesh. The Grimfruit will spend the daytime in and out of the water as it needs. While in the water it will still seek out carrion and Beachfruit to eat. During dawn and dusk it will spend all of its time out of the water.

When breeding Grimfruit will gather on the beaches and fertilize each other. Once they have mated they will return to the water to lay their eggs in the sand. Hatchlings will eat an unhatched egg to give them a meal before leaving the nest. This improves the survival of the hatchlings while reducing the number that hatch.