Linella
| Linella | |
|---|---|
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| Fauna | |
| Official Name | Linella |
| Common Nicknames | Larazzra Fish, Searubber Guppies |
| Classification | Fish |
| Habitat | Various waters |
| Domesticated | No |
| Current Status | Common |
Linella were once thought to be unique fish that excreted a shiny, long, elastic thread known as Elastan, however, it was rather quickly discovered it was not the case. These fish were found to be located in and around reefs surrounding the Ashal Islands and the continent of Daen as a whole and, due to a series of small thin hooks around their bodies, would pick up stray pieces of floating Elastan as well as any debris that floated on by. Once the misconception was swiftly dispensed with, both Fin'ullen and Asha began to seek out the fish as a steady source of meat and protein for their diets. Many sailors amongst both the Finullen and the Asha tended to use these fish passively to determine if any other vessel had passed through the area, their ability to accidentally hook the occasional debris and waste leading to the discovery of sunken wrecks disturbed by the currents or another passing ship that simply drifted on by. The Linella is still a common sight and staple in both Asha and Finullen culture, though both parties would never admit to sharing such a similar cultural food except in the capital city of Talant Amanra-Assalei, though even then it is more a begrudging admittance rather than any form of appreciation or cultural understanding. To this day, despite the Asha’s lapse of history, it still retains the same use as it held in the past, and the Asha continue to use these fish to locate the coral reefs from which they extract Elastan to this day.
History
Linella have existed in the seas since the first individuals took to the seas, both the Altalar and the Dewament Empire acknowledging the existence of these creatures whenever they first set out from their coasts. Very few records remain of the uses of this fish by the Dewamenet Empire, however, it can only be assumed to have been used as a primary source of protein whilst the empire was still at its height. Upon its defeat at the hands of the Allorn Empire, the Finullen began to become the primary entity that held any form of dominion over the seas, and the fish were caught in droves to be served in households in all of the primarily Finullen principalities. Despite the rate at which Finullen Altalar continued to expand and reproduce, the fish seemed to grow in number to match it, their population seemingly never in danger of any form of threat from mass hunting, and instead, they seemed to thrive in this environment. At a certain point, the Finullen began to work toward understanding and mapping out the areas in which the Linella traveled along the ocean currents and where they resided, beginning the process of being able to accurately secure any form of haul that was needed at any time of the year. Naturally, certain Asha slaves were used to assist in the large scale movement of such hauls, and when the Cataclysm came and the Asha began their trek back toward the Ashal Islands, many took some of these techniques that they had learned to secure a steady supply of protein when they began to rebuild their empire upon the islands. Despite the world-shaking events that have happened around these creatures, and the rather rapid pace that they seem to reproduce, nothing has changed for these creatures over the past few thousand years. The appearance of the Linella has remained static, and their use as a source of food and on the rare occasion as creatures able of carrying debris from one place to another through the water, there is nothing else particularly spectacular regarding them.
Physical Appearance
Linella at first glance appear to be nothing more than plainly shaped saltwater fish reaching anywhere from half a foot to two feet long. They tend to weigh anywhere from one to three pounds and are generally a few inches thick at most. The head of the Linaella is marked with a terminal mouth located in the middle of the head with equal length jaws both pointing forward. Their eyes are located around half an inch behind this mouth, each one a stark shiny blue that are located on either side of its head. There is a slightly lighter shaded operculum covering the gills that are located directly behind the eyes. Linella tend to have two connected dorsal fins, the front spiny dorsal fin usually extending around an inch from the top of the body whereas the soft dorsal fin behind it only raises about half an inch, and is connected toward the corner of the first. The pectoral fins are located right behind the gills, and it has a matching pair of pelvic fins in addition to a caudal and anal fin to accompany it. Their body tends to be a periwinkle blue all around, with the two eyes toward the front of its head being the primary outlier from this. The unique trait that leads to these fish being differentiated from the rest is the scales that line their bodies. Toward the tail end of each scale, there are a small series of hooks jutting out from each that curl forward, catching stray pieces of biological matter, debris, and on occasion the odd piece of inanimate matter. These fish when swimming in schools pick these up and carry them along the currents until they finally stop, the pieces of matter eventually gliding off the hooks and into such a spot that they can be readily consumed, allowing these fish to make a home and acquire a steady source of food almost anywhere in the oceans of Aloria. These very hooks were the reasons why sailors first thought these fish created Elastan, though almost immediately it was discovered that they simply carried the strands that were discarded by certain coral reefs.
Diversity
Linella have no differences between the genders, and their bodies share similar traits with most other aquatic fish that travel amongst the oceans. The only sign that truly shows these fish as different from others is the hooks that line their body. The lack of disparity has been one of the few surprising parts regarding this creature, despite their short lifespans and the high rate at which each generation is born, there have been no observable differences or changes in their physical makeup over this period.
Life Span and Development
Linella are laid in spawning grounds as several dozen cloudy eggs smaller than peas, which are carried within the layers of hooks that cover their bodies, preventing them from being dislodged and protecting them from any immediate threats. Due to the nature of these fish continually being on the move, there is no defined spawning ground, and the fish can adapt and hatch in any form of climate. The eggs hatch after around sixteen to twenty weeks and the fish have a lifespan of around three years, reaching physical maturity at around nine months. A single Linella on average produces around four to five surviving fish each hatching cycle, despite the dozens of eggs they may originally produce.
Mental Overview
Linella are fairly dull creatures without much complex thought in their existence. They mindlessly feed on various forms of plant life, but when young, they are also known as cleaning fish, serving a vital role in the ocean community. The hooks on their body, whilst normally used to collect biological matter for consumption, are capable of collecting inanimate debris and waste that finds its way into the ocean as well, preventing such from collecting on the ocean floor or amidst the coral reefs they find themselves residing in on the briefest of occasions. This role continues throughout the entirety of its lifespan and is the primary reason why the coral reefs near the Ashal Islands and the continent of Daendroc as a whole remain untouched and healthy. Even outside of their hooks, the Linella function as active ocean cleaners, actively cleaning off coral and larger more passive fish that travel in the same environment.
Territory and Groupings
Linella exist in schools of up to 500 members, who swim in ceaseless migratory patterns, and consistently remain traveling whilst they move to spawn their eggs every autumn. Despite the awareness of the birthing patterns of the Linella by the Finullen and the Asha, the Linella always seem to produce enough living offspring to offset any vast deficit that is created throughout the year. There have been multiple attempts to try and localize them to certain specific areas, yet despite such, Linella always seem to find their way back toward their ceaseless wandering, never remaining in any one spot for an extended period.
Trivia
- Finullen and Asha hunt Linellas using primarily nets, though the process for preparing the fish for proper use is difficult due to the inherent amount of debris that is usually caught in addition to the fish itself, resulting in an arduous process of picking apart the outside of the fish before even beginning to clean it for consumption.
- There is a rumor amongst those who are unfamiliar with any form of culture or fashion that the Linella are what produces Elastan, however, the Asha as well as any individual who has spent even a moment looking into the subject knows that such is not the case, and is instead produced by the coral reefs the Linella tend to pass by.
- There have been occasional reports of schools of Linella latching onto larger fish, and traveling with them for an extended period, though no conclusive analysis has been able to be pulled from this just yet.
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