Murbot

Murbot are a species of predominantly freshwater fish that is native to the domain Madego, although they can also be found in coastal regions, where the water is an occasional blend of fresh and salt water.

Appearance

Murbot are round-bodied, blunt-faced fish with a 'mane' of pale feelers projecting back from their head. Their scales are typically shades of green or grey with streaks of silver, with the base colour depending on the region they live in and the colour of the water they inhabit. Murbot have large, expressive eyes, and heavily frilled fins. When newly hatched, a Murbot is roughly 10 centimeters long; adults can grow up to roughly 30 centimeters long.

Characteristics

Murbot feed on rotting matter and carrion, and their flesh contains high amounts of toxins. Consequently, they are not considered edible by Madego's native Chi-Folken, and there are relatively few species that will eat them. This might seem like a recipe for overpopulation, except Murbot reproduction is highly dependent on local food supplies; if the local food supply is insufficient to support the local population, Murbot do not enter their procreative cycle.

Interaction with other species

Although Murbot are not edible, they have other uses to the Chi-Folken. They are often kept as a fully biological garbage disposal, with Chi-Folken tipping waste into pools that contain two or more Murbot. Their own waste is later dredged out of the pool and used as cheap fertilizer.

Additionally, while they are no more intelligent than other fish, Murbot have a generally friendly disposition; they can be domesticated and display an affectionate nature. In the current age, many Chi-Folken keep Murbot as pets, creating basins for them in which Chi-Folken can swim with the Murbot or where they can simply sit on the edge and pet the Murbot. Smaller Murbot are frequently kept in large fish tanks in homes and the business place.

Combat

Murbot are not easy to rile up. As mentioned before, they have few predators, and they have few competitors for their preferred diet. On the rare occasion that a Murbot is driven to hostility, they have retractable stingers in their 'mane' of feelers, which can deliver poison to a target. In addition, a Murbot driven to aggression releases a pheromone that causes all other Murbot that can smell it to likewise become hostile. A school that is driven to attack a target generally settles down as soon as the enemy is dead ... and they are finished eating it.