Chandos fish were a breed of fish native to the world of Chandos. These fish were exclusive to Chandos, but similar species had evolved separately in the oceans of other worlds.[1]
Description[]
These omnivorous fish had a long, slender body and a spiny ridge running down their backs. Typically, their scales were either white or a dark golden color. They had the capacity to use bioluminescence to produce their own illumination.[1]
Behavior[]
Chandos fish were always hungry and were always looking for food to fill their stomachs. They weren't fussy eaters, but they did prefer freshly killed meat to old or decaying flesh, and they preferred such meat to the algae, sponges, fungi, and other marine plants that lived in the Chandos oceans.[1]
Combat[]
When Chandos fish discovered potential prey, they attacked it right away and didn't wait until it was dead to eat; instead, they bit with the intention of removing and devouring that piece of flesh. When a feeding frenzy breaks out, more damage is inflicted on the enemy as a result of this form of attack. Worse, once they smelled or tasted blood, the fish quickly went into a feeding frenzy akin to that of a barracuda or piranha. All open wounds were targeted as they flocked to the areas with the most blood. During this frenetic attacking, these fish frequently also engaged in intraspecies aggression.[1]
Ecology[]
When they were young, Chandos fish typically grouped together in schools. This guaranteed both their mutual survival and their learning survival skills. After they were big enough to take care of themselves, they became solitary until it was time to mate. The territorial impulses common to other animals were absent in Chandos fish, and if prey was too small for more than one fish to eat in a single meal, then they protected their food.[1]
These fish laid their eggs in strings that could be up to 50 feet (15 meters) long and contained more than 1,000 eggs each. The eggs were placed in the holes and fissures of rocks. Not every egg hatched, and not every young survived to adulthood. Only around twelve of the 1,000 eggs laid by one adult lived long enough to reproduce. These fish had a three-year average lifespan, with the breeding age falling between six and eight months. These fish were very loyal to their mates while pregnant. The male swam at the female's side until she laid her eggs and guarded her from any threat, real or imagined. Once the eggs were laid, they separated and never mated again; instead, they each found another mate at the next breeding season.[1]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Dale "slade" Henson (April 1991). Realmspace (Monstrous Compendium). Edited by Gary L. Thomas, Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc), p. 82. ISBN 1-56076-052-4.