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Lesser Ionans is the collective term for six genus of non-sentient invertebrates that inhabit Jupiter's moon Io, and their species. (There are a few other species but these are the six best-known - most of the rest are bacterial or algal, and ecological disasters removed several other larger species in recent years) Sometimes these six animals are referred to collectively as Ionan Arthropods, but not all contain the requirements necessary to be classified in the same group as Earth's Arthropoda. Many of them provide food for each other, and the very much sentient Greater Ionans; furthermore, most are primarily underground-dwelling creatures, like the Greater Ionans, but will come to the surface occasionally (Squillaterram being a notable exception). In this article, the six genus are represented with the names given to them by human scientists; the Ionan names, where known, are provided by individual species.
Squillaterram
(Plural: Squillaterra) Literally, "Shrimp on Land", these large crustacean-like animals are the primary source of meat for the Greater Ionans, and are the best-understood Lesser Ionan besides Velglobulus. There are at least three distinct species, and each species has a few subspecies, and also many "color morphs", which has caused some confusion in the scientific community. However, most colorations blend in well with their surroundings, making the creatures difficult to spot among the flying dust and ash in some parts of Io; most predators hunt Squillaterra by the sound of their scrabbling rather than by sight.
Most individuals average about 18-24 in. (46 -61 cm) in length, counting the long antennae, with females being slightly larger than males. Their exoskeleton is more than 2/3 in. (16 mm) thick, and they are capable of withstanding extreme heat. The body has many thin segments, and resembles that of a very stocky isopod, with a shrimp-like narrow head at the anterior end. The head contains four thick, bristled antennae and two compound eyes, all set on thick stalks. The mouth is set directly underneath the four antennae, and contains three sets of ant-like jaws, with the largest set being visible/exterior and the two other smaller and weaker sets interior. They have ten to fourteen pairs of legs - the most anterior pair of legs contains a pair of small pincers, mostly used for grasping and tearing softer prey.
Squillaterra are fast runners, able to maintain great speed while not only running forwards, but also running sideways and backwards as well. They can change direction almost instantaneously, making them quite difficult to catch. While they can and do use this ability to hunt, they are primarily scavengers, typically feeding on other creatures' carrion, abandoned kills, eggs, weaker/ill young, and dung. They are capable of digging shallow troughs or ditches to serve as shelter, but are not tunnelers and do not form permanent 'hives' or 'nests', living a nomadic lifestyle. They travel great distances in double-file lines, unless confined by walls or geological formations they cannot cross (they are not good climbers at all, and fully aware they cannot right themselves unaided if they fall on their back). Most refuse to go underground unless carried there, as their primary predators live underground. They are, because of this, the only species of Io considered a proper surface-dweller. That said, Ionans have successfully introduced the animal to Titan's glacial caves as a source of farmed meat, though they are kept in stone-walled enclosures so they do not damage any local wildlife.
Squillaterra live in eusocial colonies, with relatively even numbers of males and females; many of these attend the queen while the rest hunt. Instead of forming brood nests, they live a nomadic lifestyle, as mentioned above. Each colony has at least one "Queen", though in rare cases some may have two or even three. She is born a normal female, but while a colony's old queen is living, the old queen travels in the dead center of the line and secretes strong pheromones that effectively prevent the other females in the colony from desiring to mate. However, once the old queen dies, a female who travels towards the very front or very back of the line will usually be the first to have the effects of the pheromones wear off, and will immediately mate with the nearest male. Often, more than one will do this simultaneously, hence a few rare colonies having two or three queens; however, in most cases, when multiple queens are formed, one will stay and the rest will split off with a few males to start their own new colony. (In grossly overcrowded colonies, a queen may temporarily cease making pheromones, to deliberately bring about this splitting-up result). If a colony loses several queens in quick succession, it will die out/scatter. Queens are considered so important that it is strictly forbidden by Ionan law to kill one, even in dire circumstances.
Once a female has mated for the first time, she begins secreting the pheromones, keeping other females away. She will form a new exoskeleton and molt her old one, revealing a longer and much softer abdomen with several more segments, capable of stretching to great sizes to contain her developing young (Squillaterra are ovoviviparous, which is as well, for eggs cannot develop on the surface of Io). For the rest of her life, this queen will continuously go through mating and birthing cycles. After a period of mating with several males, the queen will spend about thirty to thirty-five days on average incubating her eggs and later young, the soft part of her lower body gradually increasing in size until she needs assistance from her attendants. At the end of the span, the colony will begin looking for a safe place, usually under a rocky outcrop or in a shallow ditch. There, they will instinctively form a protective ring about their queen, with the more powerful and larger-clawed individuals outermost. The nearest "workers" will then attend to their queen, and begin pressing and stroking their antennae against her gravid abdomen in an anterior-to-posterior motion, releasing chemicals that induce labor. While this phenomenon is not fully understood, studies show Squillaterra queens indeed cannot enter into labor without the help of workers and can, in extreme circumstances, die while gravid if left alone. However, this is remarkably rare, for queens been known to easily carry their young for fifty-five days or even more, without birthing them or showing ill-effects, if the colony decides conditions are not favorable for young to be born. (NOTE: Now that Ionans have domesticated some of these creatures, these labor-inducing chemicals' possible effects on other creatures that give live birth are currently being studied, though ethically and with much computer analysis and simulation. There have been no live experiments as of yet, and will not be until it is fairly certain such would be safe.)
After about twenty to thirty minutes of aid by by her workers, the queen's abdomen will go from slightly flinching at each touch to visibly pulsating with comparatively gentle rapid-fire contractions, about 3-4 seconds in length with little to no visible "downtime" between; while Squillaterra can feel pain, they seem to show no signs of distress or agitation during labor, and remain quite relaxed, suggesting that either the uterus has no pain receptors, or the 'induction' chemicals released by the workers may also have an analgesic effect . After anywhere from ten minutes to an hour, the queen will begin to push/strain as the first of her 15-19 juveniles, or "nymphs" (fully-formed sub-adults about 5 in [13 cm] in length, with soft exoskeletons), emerges. The rest follow quite quickly, and she has usually ceased birthing and deflated to her normal size after a span of about two hours. Several of her young invariably are stillborn, while others are snatched up by predators who hover nearby waiting for a chance. The strongest workers keep off these predators as best they can, while the live young instinctively scurry to the nearest workers and cling to their undersides. The colony will then continue with the march, with the queen mating again after about two earth weeks and beginning the cycle once more. The other adults will feed and care for the young they are carrying for about five earth months, until they have had their first molt; the young must then march and hunt on their own, though they are still undersized. Most reach adulthood after about two earth years and several molts; the average natural lifespan for most Squillaterra is about ten earth years, though most die from predators well before that.
Species
- S. austrailis - found only in the southern hemisphere of Io, primarily deep brown in color and having a proportionally much larger head than other species, nearly the same size as all the rest of the body combined. There are two definite subspecies of S. austrailis, one (S. australis nero) with short, tough black ridges down their back and one (S. australis perfusorius) without. Ionan name: Z'kuailw (zeh'KWA-il-yoo). Both subspecies have a few darker and lighter color morphs, as well as a red color morph.
- S. radii - the smallest and least abundant species. Notable for being nearly black in color, living exclusively near volcano zones, and having an unusual, faint and iridescent radial pattern on their shell. Colonies rarely reach more than 120 individuals, and queens are very short-lived. There are multiple subspecies; some debate exists how many are subspecies and how many are morphs, as most "subspecies" are defined by amount of yellow or white blotches in the black shells. Ionan name: (Z'kuail'libn (zeh-KWA-il-LIB-en)
- S. vulgaris - the largest and most abundant species, matching the type description the closest. Usually sulfur-yellow in color and long-limbed, giving them a speed advantage. There are six or seven subspecies, based upon the part of Io they dwell in but all very similar in appearance; as with S. radii, some debate exists as to which are subspecies and which are color morphs. Besides scavenging, S. vulgaris preys upon the other two species, and can hunt other animals smaller than itself. This species is the one actively farmed by some Ionans and has been introduced to Titan via some queens and their males brought along during the migration. These have been domesticated due to good feeding and safety, and no longer run from the Greater Ionans, nor do they tend to their young as assiduously as wild Squillaterram tend to do. The juveniles, usually less than a year old, are the ones primarily harvested for meat by the Ionans to prevent overpopulation. Ionan name: Z'kuailli (zeh-KUA-ill-ih)
Note: Sometimes all of these species are collectively called "squillas" by humans, which is a mix of their Ionan and scientific name, and a few Ionans have begun to use the term.
Illusoiovi
Only one definitely extant species remains of this genus of large worm, as the others were accidentally hunted to extinction by Greater Ionans in the past, prompting current bans on hunting the rest except in greatest need. They are an omnivorous, primarily underground-dwelling worm, eating fungus and plant matter but also preying upon Mollornatorchis, young or elderly Velglobulous, and Squillaterram nymphs. Illusoiovi are very solitary; they travel in tunnels they dig themselves, but will briefly emerge into caves or on the surface for brief periods to hunt or mate. They typically range from 7-9 in (18-23 cm) in length, but can be much longer and heavier with good feeding, as they live for 90-100 earth years if not killed. The body is covered with thick, rubbery, overlapping plates; the ventral plates are smaller and a metallic silver in color, while the dorsal plates are large, overlap each other, and have intricate patterns of oranges, reds, and whites, very similar to the whorls and stripes of the planet Jupiter. Like many worm species on earth, Illusoiovi are hermaphrodites, mating at infrequent intervals with both parties leaving multiple egg sacs behind about seven earth months after the mating. These egg sacs have about sixty eggs apiece, and are periodically rooted out and eaten by other creatures, unless buried deeply out of reach. This species has not been introduced to Titan, as there is no definite way to keep them as pets or farm animals. Furthermore, they are excellent escape artists and would wreak havoc in gardens, as they used to do to the fungus and mushroom caves the Greater Ionans tended on Io.
Species
- I. argus - The only definitely extant species, described above. Ionan name: Yur'nwa (ee-ur-NEW-ah)
- I. planus - Only very recently declared extinct. Had a very flat body like a tapeworm and a black underbelly instead of silver, but otherwise identical to I. argus. Some believe there may be undiscovered individuals, and a few have claimed to find one still living, but no definitive proof exists as of yet. Ionan name: Yur'nwu (ee-ur-NEW-woo)
NOTE: There were about nine species initially, but the other seven have been so long extinct that most accounts of them conflict and are not reliable.
Gladiatorii
Creatures of the Gladiatorii genus are primarily cave dwellers, who occasionally burrow but prefer to stay in open underground areas, only digging or going to the surface to hunt prey. They come in a large variety of species and subspecies, but none of these species are particularly numerous. The genus name comes from their singularly warlike and frightening appearance, and the fact they are fiercely competitive and territorial, killing sometimes just for the sake of fighting and then caching the meat for later. They are strictly hunters/carnivorous, and will not eat carrion or old meat unless from their own personal cache. Some are solo hunters, but most typically hunt in small packs loosely "led" by the largest or strongest male, who typically has three to five females and one to two younger or weaker males following him. However, some packs contain all females, which again are loosely "led" by the largest specimen. All Gladiatorii packs form at random, and disperse and reform into other packs at frequent and random intervals; research has shown there is no lasting loyalty, affection, or true hierarchy displayed among Gladatorii, for they often fight amongst themselves and seem to hunt together for sake of convenience rather than any other reason.
In appearance, nearly all Gladiatorii species are eerily similar to the extinct Anomalocaris from Earth, down to the grasping organs on the head and the radial mouth. However, they posses four of these grasping organs instead of two, and these organs possess hard spikes which induce venom into unlucky prey. Furthermore, the compound eyes are greatly enlarged, and rest flush to the head instead of on stalks. The flat, fin-like body is flexible and appears soft, but in actuality possesses an internal "pin" or thin shell down the center rather like a squid. The softer 'flaps' (parts either side of this internal shell) are covered by a rubbery skin/exoskeleton, very thick and tricky to pierce. They have eight pairs of comparatively small jointed legs beneath, rather 'flattened' and close to the ground like the legs of a huntsman spider. Males tend to be three to four times heavier/bulkier of build than the far more slim and slender females, though not very much longer or taller. Females, however, have longer stingers and barbs, and are much more venomous than males. Both genders are excellent at climbing and burrowing, and swimming. The hindmost legs contain powerful coiled muscles, allowing them to jump short distances from rocks onto prey.
The main things that prevent these creatures being too abundant are frequent fighting to the death amongst themselves, and the fact they need calm, relatively undisturbed water to spawn; undisturbed underwater pools can be tricky to find. The pack will spawn their reproductive matter as a group once suitable water is found; because there are more females than males, most eggs go unfertilized and provide food for the algal and planktonic matter in the water. The young that do develop and hatch are larval, and feed on said planktonic and algal matter, before pupating and emerging from the water as sub-adults, gradually growing in size with each exoskeleton molt. Sub-adults often are eaten by other scavengers like Illusoiovi and Ossaculum, as well as other Gladiatorii, and even Squillaterram if the subadult Gladiatorii travels to the surface at any point.
These creatures are not regularly hunted by the Greater Ionans for food, for the spikes on the grasping organs can be fatal to young or newborn Ionans, and even adults if enough stings are given. However, the flat body can be consumed quite safely once the head is removed.
Species
- G. auroris - the largest species, translucent white or ivory in color. They can measure up to 34 in (86 cm) in length, with the largest males weighing up to 70 pounds (32 kg). They are unusual in that they prefer the light side of Io and practically never venture to the dark, though they sometimes live in the twilight zone between the two - most Gladiatorii inhabit both sides equally. They are also rather rare; there is some disagreement as to how many currently exist, but the number is certainly not more than a few hundred and may be much less. After the Greater Ionans finish evacuating Io, however, it is suspected G. auroris will become the new apex predator in the ecosystem. They will eat quite literally anything that moves that they can catch. They are, notably, the only creature on Io besides the Greater Ionans that can actually run down a fleeing Squillaterram vulgaris; while slower than their prey, G. auroris typically have much more stamina. They also attack adult Greater Ionans in packs when possible, but rarely succeed unless the individual is old or ill and has no others to protect them; G. auroris can easily be heard coming, even without the Greater Ionan's superior hearing. Ionan name: Aubnxi (AW-ben-cheh)
- G. poculum - the smallest species, measuring about 5 in (13 cm) in length on average. Most individuals are a solid black or chocolate brown in color, and never willingly come to the surface; a specimen found the surface is invariably carrion brought there by some hunter. This creature has four distinct subspecies, varying in slightly in length of leg, weight, and size of head. Among Greater Ionans, these four subspecies were named after the individuals that discovered them, and this was incorporated into their scientific names among earth scientists. (G. p. narsyni, G. p. aunani, G. p. sarunxii, and G. p. uarmyni) They eat mostly Velglobulus and Mollornatorchis, especially their young and eggs, but packs can easily take down adult Illusoiovi if they can find and catch one. They are frequently preyed upon by the larger Gladiatorii species, as well as Ossaculum species. Ionan name: Aubn'imb (AW-ben-EHM-ba)
- G. familiaris - the type species, which is by far the most venomous. Adults measure about 9-17 inches (23-43 cm) in length and are translucent yellow-orange in color. Usually preys on Illusoiovi adults and egg sacs, as well as Squillaterram young or elderly/weak individuals; however, like G. auroris they are perfectly happy to eat anything they can catch, including other smaller Gladiatorii. They are subdivided into three subspecies: G. f. bianca, which is mottled with white blotches and tends to be a smaller weight than average; G. f. aureum, with a harder exoskeleton of almost metallic coloration, and G. f. socialis, which hunts in unusually large packs of twelve or more individuals instead of the typical six or seven, and is on the larger end of the size scale. G. f. socialis are the rarest of the three species, but can be a great danger to Ionans as they are harder to hear coming and they can easily take down young and adolescent individuals, though adults are more likely to die from poison than from being overwhelmed by numbers. A large pack can also easily take down a G. auroris, but they will have to contend with the G. auroris individual's own pack taking advantage of them as free food, if they do not catch their prey somewhere isolated from the rest of its pack. Ionan name: Aubn (AW-ben)
- G. ovacomedet - by far the rarest species, nearly extinct due to specialized diet and weaker physique. They are unique in that their preferred prey is Greater Ionan eggs; though they will occasionally eat other things, they are not as adept at catching live prey as other hunters. They also are unusual in that they always hunt alone or (rarely) in pairs. The spikes on the grasping organs are in double rows and extremely hard, and their grasping organs are also quite elongated, carried coiled when walking but longer than the rest of the body when extended. These are used to pierce and tear the very tough leathery eggshell. They are the least venomous species of Gladiatorii and not considered dangerous to adult Greater Ionans, and usually cannot kill a younger one either, but are a definite threat to nests. They average 13 in (33 cm) in length when fully grown, and have a nearly-transparent golden-yellow or orange exoskeleton. Ionan name: Aubnbuak (AW-ben-wak).
- G. percute - The only member of the family not to possess spikes on its grasping organs, instead having a single very large venomous "barb" (or "fang") at the tip of each one. Their heads are comparatively small, and their legs are rather long and protrude from beneath the upper shell far more visibly than other species. They are the fastest-running and fastest-digging species, and are a rich, solid reddish-brown or chestnut in color, averaging about 8 in (20 cm) in length. They are thought to preferOssaculum brunius as prey due to many dead O. brunius being found showing barb marks, but have been seen eating other Gladiatorii young, Mollornatorchis, and any other animal small enough to catch. Ionan name: Aubn'nyma (Aw-ben-NEE-mah)
Velglobulus
The genus name means "little ball of fur", and is one of the most accurate visual descriptions of these creatures. Until comparatively recently, there were three known species of this genus on Io (V. flammacapillus, V. lupomaxilla, and V. viatorem); however, V. flammacapillus and its far-more-numerous domesticated subspecies, V. f. domesticus are all that remain definitely extant now (some debate exists on this subject). The other two species were never domesticated, but were not hunted and even protected by the Greater Ionans. However, they were far less hardy/more delicate than V. flammacapillus, stayed in an endangered state for many generations, and eventually were declared extinct during the great ecological upheavals prior to the reign of the Last Governor. The domesticated Velglobulus species was tamed by the Greater Ionans many Earth centuries ago, due to their intelligent, affectionate, and comical dispositions, and also because they are very useful for getting rid of unwanted weeds and also creating compost for gardens and fungus growing operations.
All species of Velglobulus can be described as a comparatively small creature, loosely resembling a sea urchin, with a nearly spherical body covered in trillions of microscopically thin 'spines' that essentially form a soft fur . The species that now has a domesticated subspecies - V. flammacapillus - is naturally streaked in dusky red or orange hues in its wild state, with dark colored eyes, and averages about 2.5 inches (6 cm) in diameter. However, through the years, selective breeding has created the domesticated subspecies, which contains more than four dozen breeds and hybrids, varying in coat color/pattern/softness, eye size, eye color, body size, and temperament. Depending on the breed, they can average anywhere from 2-8 inches (5-20 cm) in diameter, and their 'fur' can be a bewildering variety of spotted, streaked, and ombre patterns, in shades of either gray, brown, yellow, pale violet, cream, white, orange, red, and pink. Males and females can easily be told apart, as males always have far darker and bolder colors while females have a more washed-out, "pastel" hue. At the front of the body, they have two large "primary" eyes with 3 to 9 tiny ones in a cluster between them. The smaller eyes are vestigial, black or deep blue in color, and only sense light and dark; they are also not easily visible, hidden among the 'fur'. However, the two large "primary eyes" are well-developed, similar to those of an octopus or squid, contain rudimentary lids, and can be solid colored but are usually multi-colored in gradients or ombre patterns. Quite literally any color in the visible spectrum, including white or black, is possible for Velglobulous primary eyes, and among breeders it is considered desirable to produce individuals with one primary eye a different set of colors than the second.
Beneath their body, Velglobulous have anywhere from six to twelve pinkish-brown suction-like feet, arranged in two rows, each foot also containing small hooked claws allowing them to cling to nearly any surface. They are not able to walk or run quickly, averaging at most about 2 mph (3 kph) in short bursts, but usually creeping placidly along at a much slower pace. However, they can quickly travel downhill by tucking their feet in and rolling, which they have been known to do for sport/play as well as out of necessity. Furthermore, given their extremely low body mass and thick "fur", they can simply drop from great heights with no damage whatsoever. This habit of "dropping in" unannounced has startled many an unwary creature below them, and both wild and domestic Velglobulus have used this to scare away threats and also, apparently, for amusement at times. Both wild and domesticated individuals also enjoy pushing or batting around small pebbles, earth clods, and shell fragments; domesticated ones will also play with other easy 'toys' their owners provide them with. They also appear to enjoy riding upon the backs of other, faster creatures, sometimes sneaking onto the backs of sleeping Squillaterram or Gladiatorii, despite the risk. They are, to some extent, trainable, able to learn simple tricks and tasks such as pushing objects into place, climbing or rolling on command, giving a foot in a "handshake", eating specific items while leaving others alone, and carrying small things on their backs. They typically travel and sleep in groups, to share warmth, and will sleep with Greater Ionans, Titanese, and other warm-blooded creatures for the same reason.
Velglobulous can easily be selectively bred, as females will usually mate with the first male they encounter when in 'heat'. In normal circumstances, every fourteen to twenty earth months, female Velglobulous will suddenly cease eating and begin seeking for a male, climbing to the top of a branch or rock and letting out soft squeaking sounds. The three or four nearest males will come to her, and 'compete' at this time by gentle shoving and pushing of each other, with the worst outcome being one or more of the males falls off the rock or branch. No one is seriously hurt, and the 'winner' of the strength competition, who gets to the female first, will mate with her after a short "Courtship" dance, which seems to exist solely for the purpose of both parties confirming the other is ready to mate and not for any selection purposes. After mating, and two further earth months, during which she will refuse nearly all food and most exercise, the female will lay a clutch of 20-40 tiny, gelatinous eggs in a damp crevice or crack in some plant or vegetable matter (breeders provide moist twigs or branches for their pets, for this purpose). The eggs are laid meticulously in single file; their outer coverings will, due to air exposure, harden into translucent white rubbery shells within a few hours, and resemble, from a distance, a vein or line of fungus/mold on the plant. This protects them from predators, at times. Hatchlings emerge from the eggs after about four earth weeks, are solid black in coloration, and about 1/8 of an inch to 1 inch (0.3-2.5 cm) in diameter . However, by the time they are twelve earth weeks old, they have reached half their adult size and gained their full adult colors. They will be considered fully adults after about 14-15 earth months. The species averages 12 years of age in captivity.
Velglobulus primarily feed on dead vegetable and fungal matter, though they will eat live plants when trained to and thus can be used for pest/weed control. To feed, they fasten their suction-cup-like mouth onto their food and secrete strong digestive saliva, which cannot harm animal flesh except slight itchiness, but can break down plant or fungal material reasonably quickly. They then use their soft, antenna-like inner mouthparts to pull the softened bits of food inside. They can engorge themselves to half as wide again as their normal size; their dung makes excellent compost, and a large swarm can break down a large pile of dead plants and fungus into compost in three or four days.
During the great war and turmoil on Io during the reign of the Last Governor (which lasted for about 80 earth years prior to his defeat and the Great Evacuation to Titan), many domesticated Velglobulous whose owners had been killed escaped, forming feral colonies that blended with the small wild population and became garden pests. Learning from the wild V. flammacapillus, they gradually tended to become more skittish/wary of the Greater Ionans. At the time of the Evacuation and Migration to Titan itself, most of these ferals had long since buried themselves, or climbed to inaccessible places, to avoid the Greater Ionans as the wild ones often do, and therefore could not be caught and re-domesticated, and had to be left behind. However, some were caught; these, along with many already-domesticated Velglobulus, were introduced to Titan as part of the bargain with the Titanese Peoples. The Titanese have come to enjoy the little creatures' companionship as much as the Ionans do, especially as they are excellent helpers in the garden, are easily contained and prevented from becoming pests in Titan's more civilized environment, and entertain the children with their antics.
Species
- V. flammacapillus - the type species, described above. Not very numerous and very shy and tricky to catch, though not vicious and easily tamed once caught. The domesticated subspecies (V. f. domesticus) outnumbers the wild by a margin of nearly 200 to 1. Ionan name: Ffinra (FIN-ra)
- V. lupomaxilla - considered extinct, but there are a few questionable reports of recent rediscovery . The name comes from the fact their mouth is oriented farther forward, nearly to the front of the body, and the antenna-like mouthparts resemble sharp teeth. They also have coarser, crinkled 'fur' and typically come in only shades of black and gray. They average 5 inches (13 cm) in diameter - because of the unusual forward placement of their mouth, they tend to eat dried sticks and roots from the end towards the trunk/source of the plant. They have stronger digestive juices than other species, and can digest more fibrous material than the others. Ionan name: Ffyr'nar (FEER-nahr)
- V. viatorem - Also considered extinct, but as they have long been considered extremely rare, there may yet be alive but undiscovered specimens. The smallest and most far-traveling species, wandering over huge ranges of territory and rarely staying put for more than a few hours. They average about an inch (2.5 cm) in diameter, and come in mostly shades of yellows, oranges, and pinks. They are distinguishable from the domesticated species only by their small size and much shorter 'fur', looking rather like a fuzzy peach in appearance. Ionan name: Ffiriny (fir-INN-ee)
Mollornatorchis
Only two species make up this exceedingly prolific genus of slug-like mollusks. Mollornatorchis are fungus and bacteria eaters; they have no proper mouthparts barring a small porous opening at the anterior of the body, and eat through suction. They are extremely small, most measuring around 1/2 an inch (1 cm) in length. They are also the primary prey of Gladiatorii poculum and Squillaterram radii, though practically all predatory creatures on Io will eat them. They are extremely abundant, with population estimates numbering in the trillions. The only difference between the two species lies in range and color. They dwell between the surface and underground with equal frequency. In appearance, they are essentially formless, eyeless, slow-moving slugs with numerous long, bristly hairlike antennae on the anterior end of the body. They are hermaphrodites, spawn in water, and breed very rapidly. They can survive incredibly dry environments by protective layers of extremely thick mucous over the upper part of the body - however, they must go underground or at least to damp places to replenish their internal water supply once every few earth days, or they will die from exposure. They are almost always found in groups of thousands if not tens of thousands, and occasionally groups combine to be in the millions - this rapid breeding is the only defense against extinction they have. They show no signs of any intelligence or even instinct apart from going to water to breed and seem quite dull, simple creatures.
Species
- M. tenebris - dwells exclusively on the dark side of Io. Dark greyish-purple in color. Ionan name: M'bxii (im-BIK-chih-ih)
- 'M. luxor - dwells exclusively on the light side of Io. Light pinkish-brown in color. Ionan name: M'bxii (im-BIK-chih-ih) It is considered a subspecies by Ionans, not separate species. However DNA and lack of interbreeding suggests they are completely separate.
Ossaculum
The least-understood species on this list - they seem to straddle the line between vertebrate and invertebrate. Their name literally means "Bag of Bones" and refers to the naturally emaciated look of these unusual and highly rare creatures, exclusively burrowers that have to be dug out by predators. Four extant species, most notably the best-studied O. brunius, exist (though one species, O. laruapis, is considered questionable). Fossil records show at least seven extinct species, meaning there had been at least eleven species at one time, but they have yet to be properly categorized. They are, in general, roughly centipede-like creature; the way the plates of the body are arranged, most of the the creatures bear the look of a barracuda skeleton with the fins removed, coated in thin dark-colored skin stretched tight over the "bones". What would be the fish skeleton's "ribs" are in fact the creature's legs, in two rows down the body. The most anterior pair of limbs are longer than the rest; each of these two front legs has three elongated shovel-like claws, which they use for burrowing. The creatures are typically 12-14 in (30-36 cm) in length, but can grow far larger - there is some variation for species.
O. brunius in particular, as by far the most-encountered of the remaining extant species, are considered very good eating, and a delicacy, by the Greater Ionans, but are usually left alone due to their rarity. Their own eating habits are not fully understood, but they have been occasionally been surprised pulling Velglobulus, Illusoviovi, and young Gladiatorii into their burrows to eat. They never put more than half their body out onto the surface or into a cave at any point, and appear to hunt either by digging into the burrows of other creatures, or by ambush like a bobbit worm. They are preyed upon by larger Gladiatorii, with the actively-burrowing G. percute being a particular menace to their numbers. Their sharp spiny fish-like teeth, in their barracuda-like head, are their primary weapon for both offense and defense. They are also the quickest diggers on Io, able to seemingly melt into the soil at a moments' notice if dropped from a predator's grip. There are signs that at least some species, if not all of them, may be omnivorous, for there are hundreds of reports of Ossaculums popping up suddenly and pulling hunks of fungi into their burrows; whether this is to eat, or whether this is the creature making a comical mistake in trying to capture a living creature, we do not know.
Males have red eyes and females black, in most species - otherwise, the two genders are usually identical. Their mating habits have never been observed and remain unknown, but females have been observed carrying their eggs on their underside much like a lobster or crayfish. Young have only rarely been seen, and it is conjectured hatchlings live in some kind of deep "nursery burrow' underground, possibly tended to by adults, as no signs of self-sufficient hunting hatchlings has ever been found, and the smallest juvenile specimens observed are so big that they are obviously adolescent. No verifiable instances of hatchlings as small as the eggs observed carried on the female have been recorded, but, judging by the size of the eggs found attached to mothers, they cannot be longer than 1/2 an inch (1 cm) in length when they are newly hatched. Neither is it known if they hatch as nymphs, smaller editions of their parents, or if they go through any sort of "larval" stage and pupation. Some species of the creatures swim, but this is rare, and they definitely do not spawn in water.
Species
- O. brunius - The type species, and the most numerous. The entire body is solid colored; they come in rich shades of coffee or chocolate brown and are the ones most often seen grabbing fungi as well as prey. Ionan name: L'uwx (luh-EWCH)
- O. gracilecaputi- Has by far the narrowest head of any of the species, almost resembling the skull of a gharial more than a barracuda. Greenish-blue in color, with a faint livid bioluminescence. This is the only species observed swimming, usually very quickly crossing a pool to get to a tunnel on the other side. Otherwise very little is known. Ionan name: L'uwin (luh-EW-een)
- O. dionaea - The species name is the genius name for Venus Flytraps, so used because this creature is slender-bodied and bright green in coloration with reddish mouthparts and a very wide gape to its mouth. When lunging for prey from a burrow, especially if one is 'triggered' by an Ionan walking by and shoots up only to flail about open-mouthed in confusion (all species do this, from time to time), it looks very much like the stalk of the plant in question. These are the largest of the Ossaculum species, averaging about 20 in (41 cm) but sometimes growing much longer; at least one hulking individual 39 in (1 meter) long was recorded. Ionan name: L'uwxe (luh-EWCH-eh)
- O. laruapis - some debate exists as to whether this species still is extant or has gone extinct in the wild. The last sighting was more than two earth years prior to the writing of this document, but there is evidence to suggest it might be around still. The smallest of the Ossaculum species, only able to feed on the smallest of the Velglobulous (usually young) and both young and adult Mollornatorchis. They average about 6 in (15 cm) in length and have small, elongated throats like a wasp's waist. They are very pale beige or khaki in color, and you can see their internal organs easily through their nearly-transparent skin. Ionan name: L'uwlw (luh-EW-loo)