Male Hatchling

Male Hatchling
Name: unnamed
Species: Stream Crystalfin
Birthday: Saturday, April 1, 2017
Owner: lolacharm

Recent Clicks: Show/Hide
Stage Progress: 33.46%
Overall Progress: 66.73%

Element: Life An icon depicting the element Life

Crystalfin eggs are almost never seen in nature. Females disappear during the wet months of the year and it is thought they migrate upriver during this time to find breeding pools in which they hide their eggs. No one is sure where these breeding pools are or whether many dolphins use the same pools like some species of fish which spawn upriver, but the females return at the start of summer accompanied by their newborn calves. Young crystalfins tend to be fragile compared to their parents, and must build their strength in the coming months before they begin to stray far from their mothers. Calves remain with their mothers until they are five or six years old, at which point they usually leave their pod to join another and form a family of their own.

Crystalfins are unusual little whales which inhabit large freshwater rivers. They are almost completely blind and find their way around using their sensitive beaks and echolocation, the latter of which is aided by delicate crystals growing along their bodies. These crystals have properties which allow the dolphins to amplify and direct sound -- useful for catching prey and avoiding predators. In addition to helping the dolphins navigate, the crystals are said to have magical healing properties, but rather than healing people or creatures, many believe these crystals keep the rivers where the dolphins live healthy. The Stream has a small population of river dolphins that are rarely ever seen, but they are thought to have an important role in maintaining the Stream. They are one of the few creatures aside from the kaetus which actively live in the Stream, and their ability to keep rivers healthy is thought to contribute to the Stream's magical properties. Most of the time they keep hidden in stretches of water which are far from human settlements or deep enough for them to hide in, but a lucky student might spot one of these shy creatures coming up for a breath of air during the warm summer months.

Sprite art: Tekla | Description: PKGriffin