Ulus

The Ulus family of fish is the name given to a family of fish that contains more than 800 different species of Ulus.   They can be found over most of the world and are a stable source of food for many coastal communities and even some inland along certain rivers. The size of the different species of Ulus range in lenght from just under 10 cm to more than 4 meters in length, likewise they can be found down into considerable depths of the sea. Its along the tropics that one can find the most species of Ulus, in these warmer seas, the colour of the species is as vibrant as their surroundings. They range from a dull grey colour to a more vibrant pattern that helps them blend in with the coals they hide among.   The family of Ulus have a quite remarkable life cycle, they hatch from free floating eggs in the ocean after, afterwards they rapidly develop into a shape that resembles a knife blade, they then spend up to a year or two, depending on the species, just floating around in the upper layer of the ocean before they undergo metamorphosing into a fully developed member of their species.   While the precise process of the metamorphosis differs from species to species, it follows a general plan where the hatchling undergo a series of changes to their body, it becomes more cylindrical, and most species lose a large amount of bulk during this phase. it then loses the teeths it had up to that point been using to hunt smaller creatures, and its face becomes more rounded, and the dorsal fin moves forward. Some species' hatchlings start much bigger than their final shape.   As part of the change, some Ulus species also change their habitat, some migrates into freshwater.