Description+Chacteristics:

  Sea Shapers possess scales which come in blues, greens, and browns of varying values. These scales are able to light up usings a bioluminescent bacteria almost identical to that found in Night Singers and Sky Cutters. Though they are able to control it far more precisely than other species, whether that is from training or natural skill is unclear. They use their bioluminescence as a means of communicating while underwater.

  The most notable ability they possess however is gills, this when paired with their lungs enables them to breathe in both water and air. This has made them one of the few species which university can inhabit both environments.

  To aid with underwater navigation Sea Shapers possess a number of adaptations. First their tails are shaped like that of Earth sharks and while swimming provide the majority of the force. Secondly they have webbing between their fingers and toes making them useful as fins. Both of these together make them nearly as efficient at traveling underwater as solely aquatic species like fish.

  Their last notable feature is their electrocytes which allow them to generate shocks capable of stunning or killing prey. While in the water they are able to kill most prey from a distance of up to five meters on land they must make direct contact. Regardless of this limitation it is still an amazing feat to see in action.

  Preferred Range:

  Sea Shapers prefer to live in warm shallow waters such as those in the coral archipelago and so that is where most live. Smaller populations do however exist in nearly all large bodies of water with temperatures of above 10°C year round.

  Culture:

  Sea shapers typically live in underwater towns of between one thousand and five thousand individuals. These towns are typically made of stone or in older and more established towns coral. Within these communities Sea Shapers tend to form connections with a number of individuals they meet over their lifetime. Not dissimilar to human towns, though smaller on average.

  For food Sea Shapers primarily grow a kelp like plants with large orange berries which are similar in taste to kumquats. They also hunt fish by ambushing them and using their electric shocks to stun or kill them. While traditionally they would eat these foods raw, recently a trend of boiling or frying if on land has started. Though this has been met with caution and worry over possible unforeseen health issues as it is brand new.

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  Unlike most drekmurians who are highly communal though not prone to forming factions, Sea Shaper are both communal and factionist. They also, much like humans, are highly competitive between factions with many competitive sports and teams. I was told that there hadn't been as much as even a fist fight in ten years in one town. When I asked them how they were so competitive and factionist yet peaceful, I was told of the red sea war and its aftermath. Six hundred and twenty five years before our arrival a bloody war was fought by the Sea Shapers. Apparently one faction had defeated the other in a previous war and devastated them economically leading to a famine. So when the other side finally recovered they sought to totally destroy those which had caused the famine and cost them many lives. By the time the war was forcefully ended half of the Sea Shaper population was dead. That war traumatized their civilization so much that they purposely planted an instinctive fear of violence in their species. I hope that humanity never has to do the same.

  Anomalies:

  About one in every five Sea Shapers will be born with extremely dark scales and reflective backings to their eyes. This allows them to see in darker conditions and often they will serve as night time watch guards against ocean predators, or as deep sea explorers. To clarify there aren't any predators which can truly threaten an adult Sea Shaper but some can threaten juveniles hence the need for guards. These individuals are called Abyss Shapers.

  Notes:

  It is sad to know that the only way they found to permanently end violent conflict in a factionest species is through an innate fear of conflict. I was hoping to find a method of at least lessening the impact of it on human society but sadly their method would not work for us.

  I was surprised to see that they possessed ears like the rest of drekmurians as most aquatic life lacks ears. When questioned they told me that it was for on land and even showed me the flaps which close them off when they enter the water.

  I don’t know if any will be accompanying us in the future, but for now we have had to not allow any as the ship is not set up to house a permanent pool. I have however heard talk of building one if we get enough interest. Sadly regulations mean we need a qualified spacecraft engineer to implement it rather than just our head of engineering.

  I finally got an answer regarding my question about the horns apparently it is just a trait some species have. The cases where some members of an otherwise non-horned species have horns is apparently from them having a distant ancestor from a species who had them. They seem to be the only trait which doesn’t get screened out by the genetic trends towards distinct species.