MagiStream

leica wrote:
Male Onchopristis

Spoiler

Onchopristis are nervous creatures, shy by nature but rarely willing to fight. Their bulky appearance and long snouts seem ungainly, but they're swift for their size and can evade most would-be predators. If they're caught, either by a hungry maraegian nizari or an unsuspecting fisherman, their tooth-lined snouts can become formidable weapons. Each tooth is several inches long and hook-shaped, and with sixty or more of them lining the edge of their snouts, it's no wonder these creatures are often called sawfish. They have no known magical properties though like their relatives, sharks and rays, onchopristis have an array of sensitive receptors lining their bodies and snouts. These receptors can pick up minute electrical signals from the bodies of other animals, allowing the fish to locate food in complete darkness. Their ability to easily navigate dark places makes them useful companions for those who like to explore undersea caves.

Though relatively common all along the coastline and even far up large inland rivers, onchopristis are seldom seen for their spotted patterns allow them to easily blend into murky water and the ocean floor. They employ a variety of hunting strategies depending on what environment they find themselves in; in rivers, they hunt along the channel digging up creatures hidden in the sand; in reefs, they sweep their long, tooth-lined snouts to spear prey; in more open water, they are surprisingly swift and will chase down individual fish then stun them with a flick of their snouts. They grow relatively large, some reaching lengths of twenty feet or more and require constant food to fill their bellies. Despite their voracious appetites, these creatures only eat fairly small fish and mollusks, and are generally considered harmless to humans.