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Description

Though immobile on the floor of the sea, a Charybdis is an extreme threat to all who use the waters. More famously known for its adult form, they actually have a larval stage. The larvae are mobile and use a strong tail and fins to move away from their parent. Their jawless mouths filter out food as they swim, giving them constant nourishment. When a larva finds a suitable spot, it will attach itself to a sturdy foundation and begin the metamorphosis into an adult. The fins, tail and even parts of its brain are consumed during the process, providing required materials for its growth. Its adult stage is forever rooted to the ground, and its large mouth points upward. Other openings are formed on its body, which can also pull in and spit out water. Fleshy sacs form on its lower body, which are used like diaphragms to suck in water. They also grow tentacles at the base, which are used as sensors for both prey and predators. The enormous mouth can suck in thousands of gallons of water in mere moments, creating a whirlpool in the waters around it. Prey is pulled in with the current and is pulverized by the toothy projections that line it gullet. The whirlpool will last for minutes, until the Charybdis tires, and then all of the water is forced back out, creating a powerful geyser.
The feeding of a Charybdis is powerful enough to pull in ships, and there are many tales of boats being sucked into the maw of one, never to be seen again. A Charybdis can grow to immense sizes, which in turn creates enormous whirlpools. The hunger of an ancient Charybdis is enough to destroy an entire fleet of unlucky ships.
To reproduce, there are male and female Charybdis. Sperm is released into the water by the males, which can drift for thousands of miles. This can be sucked into a female and used to fertilize eggs. The eggs are then spat from the mother and go on to hatch into larval forms. Larvae must be wary though, as an adult does not care if one is sucked into its whirlpool. Food is food, and that's all that matters.
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Based it all on tunicates and sponges. The larval stage is something tunicates do, which is really interesting.

Description

Though immobile on the floor of the sea, a Charybdis is an extreme threat to all who use the waters. More famously known for its adult form, they actually have a larval stage. The larvae are mobile and use a strong tail and fins to move away from their parent. Their jawless mouths filter out food as they swim, giving them constant nourishment. When a larva finds a suitable spot, it will attach itself to a sturdy foundation and begin the metamorphosis into an adult. The fins, tail and even parts of its brain are consumed during the process, providing required materials for its growth. Its adult stage is forever rooted to the ground, and its large mouth points upward. Other openings are formed on its body, which can also pull in and spit out water. Fleshy sacs form on its lower body, which are used like diaphragms to suck in water. They also grow tentacles at the base, which are used as sensors for both prey and predators. The enormous mouth can suck in thousands of gallons of water in mere moments, creating a whirlpool in the waters around it. Prey is pulled in with the current and is pulverized by the toothy projections that line it gullet. The whirlpool will last for minutes, until the Charybdis tires, and then all of the water is forced back out, creating a powerful geyser.
The feeding of a Charybdis is powerful enough to pull in ships, and there are many tales of boats being sucked into the maw of one, never to be seen again. A Charybdis can grow to immense sizes, which in turn creates enormous whirlpools. The hunger of an ancient Charybdis is enough to destroy an entire fleet of unlucky ships.
To reproduce, there are male and female Charybdis. Sperm is released into the water by the males, which can drift for thousands of miles. This can be sucked into a female and used to fertilize eggs. The eggs are then spat from the mother and go on to hatch into larval forms. Larvae must be wary though, as an adult does not care if one is sucked into its whirlpool. Food is food, and that's all that matters.
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Based it all on tunicates and sponges. The larval stage is something tunicates do, which is really interesting.