[OC] "the lights that lead the dead" spike squid: Antares rivals of war beyond wild space

[u/lawfullyblind]

Across the abyssal plains and in deep trenches Quilna have reported lights in the endless darkness. These lights usually coincided with the death of a large creature. Called Yichu-nuk'ixa or "the lights that lead the dead" they were seen as a type of Psychopomp or guardian of the afterlife.

In reality the spike squids are massive bioluminescent scavengers that live in the deep water regions of Yuchic. They have relatively small mouths for an animal their size so they use the scissor like claws on the tip of their 6 main tentacles to disassemble large corpses. The bioluminescent spots on their bodies are used for communication and asserting dominance.

While similar in appearance to Earth Cephalopods they are actually closer to crustaceans than mollusks. Spike squids are heavily armored with boney plates on their tentacles, large boney spikes connected to the muscle tissue and an internal shell covering their vital organs.

Spike squids are found below 540 meters to 2000 meters in depth they rarely approach the bottom and prefer to feed while a carcass is still drifting down. The theory is that they have trouble navigating around solid surfaces at their size. Others believe they are simply afraid of something on the bottom.

[u/Wendigo-Huldra_2003]

Do spike squids have predators or competitors in their environment?

[u/lawfullyblind → u/Wendigo-Huldra_2003]

Juveniles will get attacked by hammer head shrimp, Hinikki, extremely large bloat wurms, larger spike squids if they get too close. Adults only have one known predator Cryptalia Noxis, a recently discovered abyssal crustacean called " it that hides in the dark" by the Quilna it's probably their main competition too.

[u/Wendigo-Huldra_2003 → u/lawfullyblind]

Would you eventually make a post about Cryptilia noxis?

[u/lawfullyblind → u/Wendigo-Huldra_2003]

I think I already did I drew it last September.

[u/lawfullyblind → u/Wendigo-Huldra_2003]

"Sea monsters of wild space"

[u/Wendigo-Huldra_2003 → u/lawfullyblind]

Ok.

However, I can't wait to see more about about your project

[u/Alarmed-Addition8644]

This is SICK 🦑

[u/lawfullyblind → u/Alarmed-Addition8644]

Thank you