The Cowslinger

Order: Toxicopinnia

Family: Microphoneidae

Genus: Aequophoneus

On Earth, many animals who don't have the privileges of being large require various ways to avoid predation. Some may rely on outstanding agility, others on symbiosis with more well-defended creatures. On Alladoras, it is largely the same. Many pelagys form shoals and trust that there is safety in their numbers, some on expert camouflage. However, one small pelagys has a different way of defending itself from predation. 

The cowslinger, a 20-centimetre long pelagys, chooses a different way to evade predators. Instead of hiding, it stands out as much as possible. Bright red and white bands stick out like a sore thumb on green carpgrass, like a red balloon. This kind of advertising might seem like a death wish, but it would be unwise to take the cowslinger as food. It is venomous, with a potent neurotoxin, enough to cause death in certain cases. Most predators would rarely attempt to consume the cowslinger, and to make its message clear, it employs aposematic colouration; which is the intentional usage of bright colouration to advertise that the lifeform is not fit for consumption. Red contrasts easily against most backgrounds, which is why nearly all aposematic creatures are bright red. Since cowslingers are often avoided, they can settle down conspicuous rocks to grow a garden of photosynthetic life forms, in which it consumes. This garden is their only home and source of food, which means it will defend it with its life. It will intentionally attack and ward off other herbivores and grazers fiercely, nipping their fins, shaking its spines and biting sensitive areas such as the eyes or rostrum.

Typically, when not defending it, the cowslinger will lay down sticky threads of protein around its territory, designating it as a barrier. It takes quite a while, as the silk-like substance has to be laid over each other to be visible enough to careless grazers. During this painstaking process, the grove is kept undefended, and thus might fall victim to herbivores. When not maintaining the perimeter, they grab rocks and organic matter to expand its farm. These gardens are fragile, and are appetising to other herbivores due to its high nutrition count compared to carpgrass. When the cowslinger is away, the chances of this happening are dangerously high. This means the cowslinger must employ the help of others if its garden is to be protected. Carnivores, like grapsharks, harpooners, snapjaws and all manner of other predatory pelagys are often persuaded to reside in its territory to protect its home.

 With the cowslinger herding food towards its terrifying friend, and the carnivore protecting its home means a mutual relationship is built. This is a type of facultative symbiosis, in which they can live separated and independently, but are benefited in their close relationship. The predator is not only given more food, but is cleaned by the cowslinger, picking off parasites and dead skin. On the cowslinger's side, it is simply to prolong their symbiosis, but on its carnivorous friend, it is an easy and surefire way to clean yourself.