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Description
The Burrowing Sandlurker (Machairoryax qanniki) is a Machairourid Solinophtalmoid Ichthyomorph endemic to Black Ring Island.

As the common name suggests, this Sandlurker lives a mostly fossorial life near the black sand coasts of the island it calls home.

Lying in ambush, the animal will use its perfectly adapted colouration to blend in against the black volcanic sands, arms open.

Using its blue Beak to mimic low growing volcanic osteophytes, it attracts a vast range of prey, like aquatic Pleuropods, Sandworms, Okijis and even the occasional Ichthyomorph.

Using its arms like a spring-trap, the Burrowing Sandlurker will restrain prey as it coils its long Lanial Tongue around it, all in a few instants.

The strong Beak-Plate, abundantly reinforced with Iron, once closed around prey creates an inescapable trap as it drags it inside its burrow.

Although uncommon, Burrowing Sandlurkers can succesfully hunt animals as big as themselves.

The Burrowing Sandlurker can pass several hours in a state of apnoea, breathing through the frontal skin and swimming to the surface to take gulps of air through the GillTail.

The specialized shape of the Anal fin, almost blade-like, allows this animal to move back and forth inside its burrow without the need to physically turn.

This knife-shaped body is also the base of its generic name Machairoryax, or "Volcanic Knife", taking from both fin shape and the volcanic nature of its habitat.

Due to Black Ring Island having only a few thousand people living on it and it remaining relatively unknown to the larger public, the large majority of the endemic life living around the island has remained virtually pristine, making this one of the few pure island ecosystems left on Nijin-Konai.

Join the Community:

discord.gg/Ss24Yme

Description
The Burrowing Sandlurker (Machairoryax qanniki) is a Machairourid Solinophtalmoid Ichthyomorph endemic to Black Ring Island.

As the common name suggests, this Sandlurker lives a mostly fossorial life near the black sand coasts of the island it calls home.

Lying in ambush, the animal will use its perfectly adapted colouration to blend in against the black volcanic sands, arms open.

Using its blue Beak to mimic low growing volcanic osteophytes, it attracts a vast range of prey, like aquatic Pleuropods, Sandworms, Okijis and even the occasional Ichthyomorph.

Using its arms like a spring-trap, the Burrowing Sandlurker will restrain prey as it coils its long Lanial Tongue around it, all in a few instants.

The strong Beak-Plate, abundantly reinforced with Iron, once closed around prey creates an inescapable trap as it drags it inside its burrow.

Although uncommon, Burrowing Sandlurkers can succesfully hunt animals as big as themselves.

The Burrowing Sandlurker can pass several hours in a state of apnoea, breathing through the frontal skin and swimming to the surface to take gulps of air through the GillTail.

The specialized shape of the Anal fin, almost blade-like, allows this animal to move back and forth inside its burrow without the need to physically turn.

This knife-shaped body is also the base of its generic name Machairoryax, or "Volcanic Knife", taking from both fin shape and the volcanic nature of its habitat.

Due to Black Ring Island having only a few thousand people living on it and it remaining relatively unknown to the larger public, the large majority of the endemic life living around the island has remained virtually pristine, making this one of the few pure island ecosystems left on Nijin-Konai.

Join the Community:

discord.gg/Ss24Yme