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Description

Cheiroprosopon strofinx is a species of Dracotentaculid Dipressioductoid Ichthyomorph from the Tropical Belt.

The name Cheiroprosopon, "Face hand", originates from the animal's peculiar hunting tactic.

Cheiroprosopon sp. has specialized the function of the dermocranial teeth for specific usages during the hunting process.

The upper and lower incisors are used as harpoons to impale prey at long ranges, as the mobile gums can extend to more than half the total length of the body.

The Fused teeth of the maxilla and Dentary meet in the third pair of gums in the centre of the mouth and are used as hands by the animal to grab the impaled prey and bring it to the mouth.

Although by nature the animal only lives in deeper waters (Meso- to Bathypelagic zones), it is known to migrate to Epipelagic areas to hunt, especially during the summer when a lot of animals move into the Tropical Belt for mating.

Many early sightings of the creature were made by fishing boats discovering the floating carcasses of these animals.

Observing a live specimen in the deeper areas of the ocean remains a very rare occurrence to this day.

On the black market, there's quite a demand for the colourful cranial armours of these animals.

Although illegal, it's not uncommon for fishermen to fish these animals up while they feed to then sell the cranial armour for a good price to collectors.

The species is just one of the handful of extant taxa remaining in Dracotentaculoidea.

The order was once much more diverse than today. Loss of biodiversity came from the competition with Vertigololiginids and the destruction of their habitat due to an ongoing climate shift during the last 20 million years.

As each year many populations of Dracotentaculoids decline, stricter laws are put in place to protect these animals and punish whoever sells and buys material originating from them.

In a famous incident in 2558, the Jishou Island national guard confiscated an amount of illegal cranial plastrons coming from 231 unique specimens that were fished in international waters during the past year, the plastrons came from at least seven different species of Dracotentaculoids, some of which on the verge of extinction.

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Description

Cheiroprosopon strofinx is a species of Dracotentaculid Dipressioductoid Ichthyomorph from the Tropical Belt.

The name Cheiroprosopon, "Face hand", originates from the animal's peculiar hunting tactic.

Cheiroprosopon sp. has specialized the function of the dermocranial teeth for specific usages during the hunting process.

The upper and lower incisors are used as harpoons to impale prey at long ranges, as the mobile gums can extend to more than half the total length of the body.

The Fused teeth of the maxilla and Dentary meet in the third pair of gums in the centre of the mouth and are used as hands by the animal to grab the impaled prey and bring it to the mouth.

Although by nature the animal only lives in deeper waters (Meso- to Bathypelagic zones), it is known to migrate to Epipelagic areas to hunt, especially during the summer when a lot of animals move into the Tropical Belt for mating.

Many early sightings of the creature were made by fishing boats discovering the floating carcasses of these animals.

Observing a live specimen in the deeper areas of the ocean remains a very rare occurrence to this day.

On the black market, there's quite a demand for the colourful cranial armours of these animals.

Although illegal, it's not uncommon for fishermen to fish these animals up while they feed to then sell the cranial armour for a good price to collectors.

The species is just one of the handful of extant taxa remaining in Dracotentaculoidea.

The order was once much more diverse than today. Loss of biodiversity came from the competition with Vertigololiginids and the destruction of their habitat due to an ongoing climate shift during the last 20 million years.

As each year many populations of Dracotentaculoids decline, stricter laws are put in place to protect these animals and punish whoever sells and buys material originating from them.

In a famous incident in 2558, the Jishou Island national guard confiscated an amount of illegal cranial plastrons coming from 231 unique specimens that were fished in international waters during the past year, the plastrons came from at least seven different species of Dracotentaculoids, some of which on the verge of extinction.

Join the Discord here:

discord.gg/Ss24Yme

Support me on Patreon:

www.patreon.com/Nijin_Konai

Visit the store:

www.redbubble.com/people/Nijin…