Umidia

To discuss this creature's unique anatomy, where to begin. Well to get the simple things out of the way they are not large creatures of course, adults only reaching lengths of some two to three feet, and weighing perhaps thirty to forty pounds at most. Seemingly wispy fish, small, clean, long. They are within the hagfish family, though in some ways look more like a pike or barracuda in shape. The mucus they produce is notable in its properties, but we shall return to that in due course. Other than this unique body shape and its strange filmy cloudy blue skin and semi transparent eyes, it would look as you might expect.

We still do lack understanding in some areas of course, such as their reproductive cycle and methods, as well as how exactly their body processes their unique diet into actual useable energy, and how they maintain any physical flesh or potential nutritional value given their diet, but they do. The best theories we have at this time are tied to the idea that perhaps this creature can convert water and air within their bodies to their base creation, that is the base manna, and somehow, using specialized organs perhaps, or some other mutation, create conditions that encourage a shift into Dulra, the manna of nature and natural growth, which then infuses their bodies, sustaining them.

However in the humble opinion of this naturalist, the most interesting aspect of their anatomy is the mucus they produce. Like all hagfish, they produce a slime of sorts that seems to just hang out around them, stuck to them, and if you get close enough will get on you. This slime however is very unique indeed, and has a huge role to play in the relationship this creature has with the above mentioned wildlife. How this mutualism works in this facet, for there are two exchanges in this symbiotic relationship, is that as the marine mammal in question swims and lets out air bubbles naturally, escaping it as the lungs which were filled with air slowly release that air, only able to hold on for so long, the Umidia flits around its mouth and head in circles. They will shoal with marine mammals, based on size. Sea Otters for example only seem capable of supporting four to eight such fish, often juveniles based on size. An orca however may have dozens and a sperm whale perhaps more. The largest shoal ever seen was estimated to be over two hundred such fish swimming and flitting about with a massive male sperm whale, a hulk of a specimen.

As they swim about feeding and flitting about these air bubbles, their metabolism, for want of a better word, seems as if the currents of the ocean. Mighty and fast when being used. They produce this slightly transluscent grey slime that clings to them and trails a little from their body. It looks underwater almost as if a 'cloud' which is so strange. However what is even stranger is what this slime actually is and does. They will after they are fully encased in this slime, flit up and around, passing at great speed directly in front of the mammal's head, and the slime will discharge into their mouths. Animals studied, though this only conjecture and utilizing rough stopwatch based tests by the Suranthi military specifically, seem to actually get extra air from this slime! They can remain submerged for, based on the tests, an extra five or six minutes on average if they've a proper sized shoal for the capacity they could support. As one might imagine this is a fantastic boon for hunting and just for travel in general for these predatory mammals, and in particular sperm whales given the distances they travel and how deep it is believed they may dive to seek out whatever it is they eat.

Umidia can be found in most any ocean in the world but are more common around the continent of Durol.

This is an unknown quantity of course and the estimates based on behavior we can observe is quite vast indeed.

However this is far from the only benefits both animals gain. For the Umidia of course due to its small size it would be vulnerable to predation by many an animal, however the marine mammals these shoals travel with have been documented being quite aggressively protective and more importantly, proactive in responding to potential threats getting to close, even predators to small to threaten the marine mammal itself. Orca's for example have been witnessed terrorizing moderate sized marine reptiles that they actively will not eat, if those reptiles get to close seeking an easy snack. The orca will expend effort and energy to chase and assault the would be predator before it can get close enough to attempt to do anything. In return for this protection, besides the extra stamina and dive time, it seems the Umidia in some way can help guide these predators to prey. Orca are well known highly capable hunters with extreme senses, yet even still they need to constantly travel constantly search and locate potential opportunities for feeding. Their senses, even their odd echoing calls which seem to help guide them under water in some ways, have roughly known ranges limited to a couple of miles for accuracy, at best. Its potentially even less.

Not so those with Umidia. These fish seem to have a deeper, almost certainly magickal connection to the sea and will actually move as one to brush alongside their large friend's fins or flukes and the side of their head, seeming to direct them and will guide them to food from ten or more miles, dynamically and successfully. This has been observed by whaling crews whom follow the whale and porpoise hunting pods in the seas around Suranth for good fortune, whom will in turn kill the whale, harvest what they need and leave the carcass to the orcas to eat. This adds another third wheel, a unique extra layer to the relationships the Umidia has in some specific circumstances. However it can be presumed that they can do this for any mammal they are connected with in this way.

The current belief is there must be some sort of magickal connection between the shoal and the host that forms that allows the Umidia to know what prey to seek and know when to do so. However that is all just speculation for in truth, the most exciting part about this is we do not know for sure how this relationship works, not in full. We have so much more to learn!