Umbral Losqula

For those who have thalassophobia, Eryobis is a very pleasant place to be. While there may not be any true sharks present in the seas of this world, some would argue that the realm beneath the waves of Eryobis harbors creatures that are even more terrifying.

While squidn'ts tend to get a bad reputation because of one tragic incident that very early after the first explorers set to sea, they are typically quite harmless. The same can not be said for another type of nienktvis. 

The Pleuropristidae, commonly known as losqulas by the explorers, are a family of carnivorous nienktvissen that are ranked as being the most predatory among their kind. Most nienktvissen and squid'ts are known to feed on prey smaller than themselves that can be easily swallowed. Losqulas on the other hand, seem to have a preference for prey equally to- or larger than themselves. They often seem to specialize in shredding their prey to bits while its still alive. Their teeth are long, sharp and serrated and with the various tooth elements being able to independently from each other, losqulas excel at mincing their prey and inflicting great blood loss. 

That said, they do not shy away from scavenging and it is not uncommon to see them congregating around the carcass of a large deceased animal.

The umbral losqula (Teutharpax umbrosus) that occurs in the Voûlic Ocean south of Miesjeta is a large member of this family that can grow over 2.5 meters long. One might look at these creatures and presume they are awkward swimmers, but these fish are deceptively fast. With two very large frontal fins and four auxiliary posterior fins, umbral losqulas can reach over 30 km/h in short bursts of speed. This, combined with their inquisitive nature makes them quite a nuisance for divers, who nowadays always need to be armed whenever they go on a dive in the Voûlic Ocean.

Umbral losqulas have been observed often following boats to feed on scraps and to steal the harvest of fishermen and are known to hang around native port cities in the south of Miesjeta, occasionally taking their toll in the form of people, most often children, going for a swim.

What makes these fish so dangerous is the fact that they most often hunt around dusk and dawn when they are the least visible to the eye. While one could be forgiven for thinking losqulas do not come close to shore due to their morphology, these carnivores are very much capable of swimming on their sides to enter water as little as 50 centimeters deep.

Not much is known about the lifestyle of these losqulas. As of yet it is uncertain if they are sedentary, territorial or migrate between feeding grounds. What is known however is that they always seem to stick to the continental shelf and will not be encountered in the deep open ocean.