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Recently I've been thinking about my old exobiology project, Priapus Prime. I've focused a lot on the sapient race that inhabits it, but not much on the organisms they share it with. Supposedly Priapus Prime has more biodiversity than Earth, yet I never delved into it much and when I did I didn't think it out very well. Here is the first of many sketches of the life on Priapus Prime, this one detailing the bauplan of the planet's equivalent of vertebrates. I haven't quite come up with names for them yet, as I am replacing the original, primitive cladogram I originally created for the planet. The "Priapan Frog" as I've been calling it in lieu of an official name is a radially symmetrical amphibious creature descended from an animal not unlike a brittle star . Priapus Prime has a much thicker atmosphere than Earth, one that contains a lot more water vapor and oxygen, which posed problems for the evolution of terrestrial life. The early starforms evolved an amphibious way of life, and became some of the hardiest lifeforms on the planet. In the modern era they have become one of the more successful and diverse class of terrestrial animals, though most retain a sustainable amphibious lifestyle due to P. Prime's massive amount of water. The "prog," like all but the largest of starforms, doesn't breathe with lungs but rather it absorbs oxygen through its capillary-rich skin, which it must keep moist (not a problem in such a humid atmosphere unless you're in certain places on the planet) to avoid suffocation. Starforms reproduce through spawning in water and their eggs hatch into larval forms that undergo rapid metamorphosis into adult stages. The larval stage of the prog somewhat resembles a tadpole, though it propels itself not by wiggling its tail but by undulating the five spiraling membranes on what is actually its elongated head. As it metamorphoses the "tail" splits into five limbs and migrates down the cephalosoma (the "head" and "body" of the organism), between the eyes and into their final position around the jaws protecting the mouth, anus, and gonads. The membranes are simply skin supported by hair-like bristles called pycnofibers, and in adults the membranes on each limb are used to propel the creature through the water, though it can still crawl onto land. Most progs have similar hand structures that have two retractable claws used to grab prey, and some have venomous spines in the cup of the opposable palm to paralyze or kill their prey. Taste receptors on the outer edges of their opposable palms are used to search for prey, which is captured by quickly grabbing it with a limb like a snake striking. Progs often have patterns on top of their cephalosoma that helps them blend in with the water they inhabit, which they use as camouflage to sneak up on unsuspecting prey on the shore or above the water.

Description
Recently I've been thinking about my old exobiology project, Priapus Prime. I've focused a lot on the sapient race that inhabits it, but not much on the organisms they share it with. Supposedly Priapus Prime has more biodiversity than Earth, yet I never delved into it much and when I did I didn't think it out very well. Here is the first of many sketches of the life on Priapus Prime, this one detailing the bauplan of the planet's equivalent of vertebrates. I haven't quite come up with names for them yet, as I am replacing the original, primitive cladogram I originally created for the planet. The "Priapan Frog" as I've been calling it in lieu of an official name is a radially symmetrical amphibious creature descended from an animal not unlike a brittle star . Priapus Prime has a much thicker atmosphere than Earth, one that contains a lot more water vapor and oxygen, which posed problems for the evolution of terrestrial life. The early starforms evolved an amphibious way of life, and became some of the hardiest lifeforms on the planet. In the modern era they have become one of the more successful and diverse class of terrestrial animals, though most retain a sustainable amphibious lifestyle due to P. Prime's massive amount of water. The "prog," like all but the largest of starforms, doesn't breathe with lungs but rather it absorbs oxygen through its capillary-rich skin, which it must keep moist (not a problem in such a humid atmosphere unless you're in certain places on the planet) to avoid suffocation. Starforms reproduce through spawning in water and their eggs hatch into larval forms that undergo rapid metamorphosis into adult stages. The larval stage of the prog somewhat resembles a tadpole, though it propels itself not by wiggling its tail but by undulating the five spiraling membranes on what is actually its elongated head. As it metamorphoses the "tail" splits into five limbs and migrates down the cephalosoma (the "head" and "body" of the organism), between the eyes and into their final position around the jaws protecting the mouth, anus, and gonads. The membranes are simply skin supported by hair-like bristles called pycnofibers, and in adults the membranes on each limb are used to propel the creature through the water, though it can still crawl onto land. Most progs have similar hand structures that have two retractable claws used to grab prey, and some have venomous spines in the cup of the opposable palm to paralyze or kill their prey. Taste receptors on the outer edges of their opposable palms are used to search for prey, which is captured by quickly grabbing it with a limb like a snake striking. Progs often have patterns on top of their cephalosoma that helps them blend in with the water they inhabit, which they use as camouflage to sneak up on unsuspecting prey on the shore or above the water.