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Description
The Charybdis species is a large species of tunicate that has become famous in seafaring legend, and for good reason. Though often seen as some legendary creature or a beast of the supernatural, Charybdises are a real flesh and blood animal. Like their tunicate cousins, a Charybdis has two major life stages.

The first life stage of a Charybdis is right after it has hatched from an egg. Unlike its stationary adult form that is so famous, the larval form is quite mobile. Like a tadpole, it swims about with a large tail, feeding in order to gain the body mass needed to transform into its next stage. At this point, the larva are active filter feeders, using their gaping mouths it pull in water and filter out any food within. They are capable of swallowing small fish, but they are often too slow to catch them. They will continue to move and feed until they reach the proper size for becoming an adult. Once they hit this point, they will seek for a place to latch on and take root. It is not fully understood what factors make up the perfect rooting spot, but many believe it has to do with currents and the amount of food that moves through the area. Once it finds a suitable, sturdy spot, the larva will cement itself into place and begin its transformation into an adult.

The amount of changes between the larval and adult stage is quite impressive. The larva will lose its tail and rudimentary fins, as well as any organs that were used for navigation and propulsion. These structures and organs are reabsorbed into the body, and their nutrients are used to fuel its transformation. The body will bulk up and form hardened structures, and the mouth will expand to take up most of its body. Tendrils and the fleshy siphons will grow, and over time, the adult stage will emerge. As an adult, a Charybdis is immobile has no means of locomotion. The spot it has chosen as a larva is where it will remain for the rest of its life. The only movement they will perform is the slow drifting of their tendrils and the pumping of their large siphons. As an adult, they are still filter feeders, but they no longer swim in order to catch food. Instead, they use their siphons to suck in large amounts of water and any of the organisms caught within it. First they use their sensory tendrils to detect scent of prey, particularly prey in large quantities. It can also detect movement in the water, using its sensors around its mouth to feel vibrations from above. When the right cues occur, the Charbdis will start using its large siphons to suck in massive amounts of water. Water that is pulled in is expelled through its porous body, or through the extra funnels that form on its exterior. The suction created by the creature will pull in surrounding organisms, sucking them into its throat chamber. The mouth and the throat chamber are lined with rough tooth-like structures that cut and pulverize prey. As the water flows in, prey caught inside are ground against the sides of the chamber, as if they were trapped in a cheese grater. Prey will eventually be broken down into small chunks that are caught in its filters and absorbed into its body. Strong digestive juices are secreted to help breakdown any organic or inorganic materials caught in the filters. After a few minutes, the Charybdis will cease its suction and return to a more dormant state.

Once an adult, a Charybdis never stops growing as long as it is alive. Specimens that live for decades can grow to massive sizes, which leads to the legends and seafaring stories that everyone hears. When a Charybdis reaches a large enough size, their feeding method can create a whirlpool on the surface of the water. This swirling vortex of water pulls in anything caught in its currents down into the shredding maw of the Charybdis. This has led to many encounters where ships will cross above an old Charybdis and set off its sensors. The trigger of its feeding mechanism will result in a whirlpool that will pull the ship and its occupants down into the depths below. This is what creates the stories of a wrathful ocean, or sea demons looking to consume trespassing ships. Charybdises are widely feared by the seafaring community, and they are right to do so. An unlucky ship can quickly be consumed if the crew is not capable enough to escape, and some tales speak of an ancient Charybdis capable of swallowing entire fleets. What makes matters worse for the sailors is the symbiotic relationship that a Charybdis can have with a Scylla. The large jellyfish will live just outside of their suction zones, and use their feeding tendrils to nab escaping prey. So sailors or boats that have escaped the whirlpool are still not out of danger yet! A Scylla will also extend feeding tendrils towards the Charybdis and feed off any parasites that may attach to its exterior. In turn, the Scylla gets a meal, and the Charybdis is parasite free.

To reproduce, A Charybdis will pump sperm out into the waters around it. They will get caught up in the current, and hopefully get swallowed by another feeding Charybdis. The sperm will fertilize the eggs, which grow around the roots of the adult. When the eggs hatch, the young must be quick to leave the area. The suction of an adult pulls in anything it can get, regardless if it is kin. To them, food is food. If the young was not smart enough to get away from the feeding zone, then it probably wasn't going to do that well on its own.

For me, the Charybdises are a fascinating species. I wish I could study them more, but there is one major problem. Being a plant, my body is not well suited for saltwater or ocean swimming. When I sail the seas to other lands, I am often forced to stay within my cabin for most of the trip. Saltwater does not do good things for my body, and thus I cannot be exposed to it in high doses. Which is a shame, because I know the ocean is just rife with interesting life like the Charybdis and Scylla species. At the time being, I can only take surface observations, or learn from other natural historians who are capable of such in depth study. Perhaps someday there will be a way for me to see these beasts with my own eyes, but for now, I will stay on the safe, dry land.

Chlora Myron
Dryad Natural Historian

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Redid my Charybdis species and added some color! I love how colorful some of these creatures come out!

Description
The Charybdis species is a large species of tunicate that has become famous in seafaring legend, and for good reason. Though often seen as some legendary creature or a beast of the supernatural, Charybdises are a real flesh and blood animal. Like their tunicate cousins, a Charybdis has two major life stages.

The first life stage of a Charybdis is right after it has hatched from an egg. Unlike its stationary adult form that is so famous, the larval form is quite mobile. Like a tadpole, it swims about with a large tail, feeding in order to gain the body mass needed to transform into its next stage. At this point, the larva are active filter feeders, using their gaping mouths it pull in water and filter out any food within. They are capable of swallowing small fish, but they are often too slow to catch them. They will continue to move and feed until they reach the proper size for becoming an adult. Once they hit this point, they will seek for a place to latch on and take root. It is not fully understood what factors make up the perfect rooting spot, but many believe it has to do with currents and the amount of food that moves through the area. Once it finds a suitable, sturdy spot, the larva will cement itself into place and begin its transformation into an adult.

The amount of changes between the larval and adult stage is quite impressive. The larva will lose its tail and rudimentary fins, as well as any organs that were used for navigation and propulsion. These structures and organs are reabsorbed into the body, and their nutrients are used to fuel its transformation. The body will bulk up and form hardened structures, and the mouth will expand to take up most of its body. Tendrils and the fleshy siphons will grow, and over time, the adult stage will emerge. As an adult, a Charybdis is immobile has no means of locomotion. The spot it has chosen as a larva is where it will remain for the rest of its life. The only movement they will perform is the slow drifting of their tendrils and the pumping of their large siphons. As an adult, they are still filter feeders, but they no longer swim in order to catch food. Instead, they use their siphons to suck in large amounts of water and any of the organisms caught within it. First they use their sensory tendrils to detect scent of prey, particularly prey in large quantities. It can also detect movement in the water, using its sensors around its mouth to feel vibrations from above. When the right cues occur, the Charbdis will start using its large siphons to suck in massive amounts of water. Water that is pulled in is expelled through its porous body, or through the extra funnels that form on its exterior. The suction created by the creature will pull in surrounding organisms, sucking them into its throat chamber. The mouth and the throat chamber are lined with rough tooth-like structures that cut and pulverize prey. As the water flows in, prey caught inside are ground against the sides of the chamber, as if they were trapped in a cheese grater. Prey will eventually be broken down into small chunks that are caught in its filters and absorbed into its body. Strong digestive juices are secreted to help breakdown any organic or inorganic materials caught in the filters. After a few minutes, the Charybdis will cease its suction and return to a more dormant state.

Once an adult, a Charybdis never stops growing as long as it is alive. Specimens that live for decades can grow to massive sizes, which leads to the legends and seafaring stories that everyone hears. When a Charybdis reaches a large enough size, their feeding method can create a whirlpool on the surface of the water. This swirling vortex of water pulls in anything caught in its currents down into the shredding maw of the Charybdis. This has led to many encounters where ships will cross above an old Charybdis and set off its sensors. The trigger of its feeding mechanism will result in a whirlpool that will pull the ship and its occupants down into the depths below. This is what creates the stories of a wrathful ocean, or sea demons looking to consume trespassing ships. Charybdises are widely feared by the seafaring community, and they are right to do so. An unlucky ship can quickly be consumed if the crew is not capable enough to escape, and some tales speak of an ancient Charybdis capable of swallowing entire fleets. What makes matters worse for the sailors is the symbiotic relationship that a Charybdis can have with a Scylla. The large jellyfish will live just outside of their suction zones, and use their feeding tendrils to nab escaping prey. So sailors or boats that have escaped the whirlpool are still not out of danger yet! A Scylla will also extend feeding tendrils towards the Charybdis and feed off any parasites that may attach to its exterior. In turn, the Scylla gets a meal, and the Charybdis is parasite free.

To reproduce, A Charybdis will pump sperm out into the waters around it. They will get caught up in the current, and hopefully get swallowed by another feeding Charybdis. The sperm will fertilize the eggs, which grow around the roots of the adult. When the eggs hatch, the young must be quick to leave the area. The suction of an adult pulls in anything it can get, regardless if it is kin. To them, food is food. If the young was not smart enough to get away from the feeding zone, then it probably wasn't going to do that well on its own.

For me, the Charybdises are a fascinating species. I wish I could study them more, but there is one major problem. Being a plant, my body is not well suited for saltwater or ocean swimming. When I sail the seas to other lands, I am often forced to stay within my cabin for most of the trip. Saltwater does not do good things for my body, and thus I cannot be exposed to it in high doses. Which is a shame, because I know the ocean is just rife with interesting life like the Charybdis and Scylla species. At the time being, I can only take surface observations, or learn from other natural historians who are capable of such in depth study. Perhaps someday there will be a way for me to see these beasts with my own eyes, but for now, I will stay on the safe, dry land.

Chlora Myron
Dryad Natural Historian

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Redid my Charybdis species and added some color! I love how colorful some of these creatures come out!