Tricolor Flagfish

• Cranium short and rounded, with steep forehead.

 

• Two fleshy barbs eject from the distal end of the dentary bone.

 

• Body very high and thin.

 

• Pectoral fin broad and pointed ventrally in rest position.

 

• Dorsal I & III small and stubby, Dorsal II longer and spear shaped; Dorsal III grows from the base of the Gill tail.

 

• Anal I very elongated and halberd shaped; Anal II rounded, growing from the base of the Gill tail.

 

• Gill tail short before the Gill fan, longeer and thin after it.

 

• Gill fan moderately short with very soft caudal drop.

Seasonal monogamous species.   The amphibian enters heat once a year during the early summer, migrating from the deeper zones of the Nuwadi Ocean they normally inhabit to the shallow waters of the west coast of the Union and New Japan where they reproduce.   The migration, depending from where it starts, takes from two weeks to a month and a half; mating happens as soon as a group arrives at the destination, meaning the full population is never in the same place at the same time.   Couples are established upon arrival through a "friendly" confrontation between males; the general rule of thumb is that the biggest and most colourful male is the winner, longer barbs are also a deciding factor.   After the couples are formed and mating took place, the animals will part ways, the males will soon return to the west until next mating season and the females will remain to incubate the eggs before laying them.   In the meantime, single males will stick around for other groups still migrating to try their luck with the next females coming in.   After three weeks from insemination, the eggs are laid along the strong trunks of the trees that make out the forests of their nesting site. The eggs hatch ten weeks after deposition and the hatchlings will eat their way inside the plant, which will keep them safe and fed for the first few days of life, until the egg sealing their nest withers away, opening up the way to the open sea.

Ontogenesis in the species not particularly marked; the animals grow slowly, making this species particularly vulnerable to environmental changes.   Loss of natal aculeus after four years from bein born.

Mesopelagic species living at depths between 250 to 900 m; migrates into the epipelagic zone during mating season, laying the eggs at depths not superior to 100 m.   Prefers underwater crags to hide in, steep rocky cliffs are an ideal habitat for the species.   During mating season they migrate to shallow forested waters with plenty of light and sandy seabottom.

Omnivorous species; will eat mostly plants but also actively hunt smaller, slow, amphibians.

Most active from late winter to late spring, in preparation for the annual migration, will enter a hybernating state from early/mid autumn to early winter.

Mostly lonesome animals during the year, will congregate in small groups for the mating season, soon disbanded.

Due to the living conditions required to keep this animal healthy, any attempt at keeping them in captivity resulted in the specimen's death.   Researchers are still trying to contain them and, eventually, be able to breed them in captivity.

Due to the high demand of the precious caviar every year, the species has seen a certain degree of overharvesting of the eggs, resulting in a noticeable drop in the species population over the last three decades.   Although pressure has been put on fishing organizations and local governments, still no action has been taken to protect the species, resulting in the 2559 campaign "Save the Flag", where people attempted to thwart the market's objective of doubling the harvest in the coming five years.   The "Save the Flag" campaign was a rsounding success, limiting the harvesting of the eggs to a more acceptable, albeit still unsustainable, level.

Nuwadi and Irobian Ocean  

Exceptional colour vision, good smell.

Affected by several skin parasites and drinker worms; some species of amphibians in a commensalistic relationship.