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Description
The open oceans of Anthropomundus were not safe places, for those were where all manner of predators lurked. Among the most feared were the vicious seaman dogs (Thalassocyon sarcophilus) and the equally bloodthirsty killer werewhales (Hominorca mystactophila) -- and these beings feared even each other, as it was not uncommon for the former to harass or even kill the latter and vice versa.

Eight meters in length, the killer werewhales were from a unique lineage of cetoid posthumans, the Anapneata, which re-evolved lung-breathing. These evolved fairly early in the history of post-seeding Anthropomundus, since the lungs were curiously left intact in M. progenitor by the Qu. In many posthumans, these evolved into paired swim bladders, or into water-pumping organs, or were lost altogether. In most of these species, respiration was primarily served by their eight gills. Even in the anapneates, whose primary mode of respiration was lung-breathing, their eight, albeit shrinking, gill slits were retained.

Since more oxygen could be obtained directly from the atmosphere than absorbing limited quantities of it from the water, the anapneates had higher metabolisms than most Anthropomundan posthumans, who were ectotherms. As such, they were also generally more intelligent, as the increased flow of oxygen could support a bigger brain and produce fattier milk than in most cetioform posthumans.

Unlike killer whales of Earthly yore, the killer werewhales were not terribly social, though they sometimes hunted in packs when tackling larger prey, such as the Poseidon werewhale (Poseidonicetus aristus), the largest posthuman on Anthropomundus, or the Neptune werewhale (Neptunicetus paenemaximus), the second largest, both of which were anapneates as well. Common in anapneates as well as in non-anapneate posthumans was mystactophilia, in which long barbels were sexually selected for by females in males. In the mating season, the male with the longer barbels tended to attract more females, and therefore had more reproductive success. Such males could attract a makeshift harem of females, with which they copulate with one by one. Sometimes, unsuccessful males would try -- at their own peril -- to isolate a female from such harems, usually with an equally desperate partner in a reproductive alliance, in order to keep her as a sex slave for until the mating season was over, so that they too could have a chance to pass on their genes to the next generation.

Description
The open oceans of Anthropomundus were not safe places, for those were where all manner of predators lurked. Among the most feared were the vicious seaman dogs (Thalassocyon sarcophilus) and the equally bloodthirsty killer werewhales (Hominorca mystactophila) -- and these beings feared even each other, as it was not uncommon for the former to harass or even kill the latter and vice versa.

Eight meters in length, the killer werewhales were from a unique lineage of cetoid posthumans, the Anapneata, which re-evolved lung-breathing. These evolved fairly early in the history of post-seeding Anthropomundus, since the lungs were curiously left intact in M. progenitor by the Qu. In many posthumans, these evolved into paired swim bladders, or into water-pumping organs, or were lost altogether. In most of these species, respiration was primarily served by their eight gills. Even in the anapneates, whose primary mode of respiration was lung-breathing, their eight, albeit shrinking, gill slits were retained.

Since more oxygen could be obtained directly from the atmosphere than absorbing limited quantities of it from the water, the anapneates had higher metabolisms than most Anthropomundan posthumans, who were ectotherms. As such, they were also generally more intelligent, as the increased flow of oxygen could support a bigger brain and produce fattier milk than in most cetioform posthumans.

Unlike killer whales of Earthly yore, the killer werewhales were not terribly social, though they sometimes hunted in packs when tackling larger prey, such as the Poseidon werewhale (Poseidonicetus aristus), the largest posthuman on Anthropomundus, or the Neptune werewhale (Neptunicetus paenemaximus), the second largest, both of which were anapneates as well. Common in anapneates as well as in non-anapneate posthumans was mystactophilia, in which long barbels were sexually selected for by females in males. In the mating season, the male with the longer barbels tended to attract more females, and therefore had more reproductive success. Such males could attract a makeshift harem of females, with which they copulate with one by one. Sometimes, unsuccessful males would try -- at their own peril -- to isolate a female from such harems, usually with an equally desperate partner in a reproductive alliance, in order to keep her as a sex slave for until the mating season was over, so that they too could have a chance to pass on their genes to the next generation.