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Description

The Sailboat Fanmouth (Sporosomina minima) is a Sporosomine Ripignathid Ichthyomorph from the tropical-subtropical climates.

This incredibly small Ithmosid is most famous for its large filter, huge once compared to its body size.

Its large shell covers almost the entirety of the body and back, the small fins now useless for independent locomotion yet not vestigial.

The foldable Ithmos, when closed, make the body more hydrodynamic and easily carried by the currents.

When feeding the Sailboat Fanmouth will unfold the Ithmos and, by rotating it at its base, they can have it face the currents while stabilizing the light body with their small fins.

Sailboat Fanmouths live in schools of several million specimens, cruising the oceans in what are called fleets.

Fleets of Sporosomine Fanmouths are usually mixed genera and attract large amounts of predators from all over the trophic chain, creating fishing opportunities for many smaller maritime communities.

When threatened, Sailboat Fanmouths can evade incoming attacks by using the large filter as a sail and rudder, slipping past predators by riding the lateral currents created by their movement.

Several North Gulf coasts take their famous bone-white colouration thanks to these animals as their head armours, of which billions of microscopic fragments get carried ashore by the incoming tropical currents, make up their sands.

Microanalyses of ancient Sailboat sands are used as markers for paleoclimate and paleoecological studies, as both their presence and specific shell morphologies are important paleoclimate index fossils.

Join the Community:
discord.gg/Ss24Yme

Description

The Sailboat Fanmouth (Sporosomina minima) is a Sporosomine Ripignathid Ichthyomorph from the tropical-subtropical climates.

This incredibly small Ithmosid is most famous for its large filter, huge once compared to its body size.

Its large shell covers almost the entirety of the body and back, the small fins now useless for independent locomotion yet not vestigial.

The foldable Ithmos, when closed, make the body more hydrodynamic and easily carried by the currents.

When feeding the Sailboat Fanmouth will unfold the Ithmos and, by rotating it at its base, they can have it face the currents while stabilizing the light body with their small fins.

Sailboat Fanmouths live in schools of several million specimens, cruising the oceans in what are called fleets.

Fleets of Sporosomine Fanmouths are usually mixed genera and attract large amounts of predators from all over the trophic chain, creating fishing opportunities for many smaller maritime communities.

When threatened, Sailboat Fanmouths can evade incoming attacks by using the large filter as a sail and rudder, slipping past predators by riding the lateral currents created by their movement.

Several North Gulf coasts take their famous bone-white colouration thanks to these animals as their head armours, of which billions of microscopic fragments get carried ashore by the incoming tropical currents, make up their sands.

Microanalyses of ancient Sailboat sands are used as markers for paleoclimate and paleoecological studies, as both their presence and specific shell morphologies are important paleoclimate index fossils.

Join the Community:
discord.gg/Ss24Yme