Trignathids

Trignathids (trignathes) are a very large subclass of cartilaginous fish. They come from the Nathairsiorc group. They can be found all across the worlds oceans. Trignathids are divided into three different orders. The main difference between them and their cousins is that their jaws aren't connected by a tendon and can move on their own.

Ikatere

Ikatere (forfexosformes) are a trignathid order found in the Indopacific and South Atlantic. They can be found in the open ocean in the epipelagic and upper mesopelagic. They usually grow to 5-7 feet long. 

Their diet consists of medium sized fish and squid. Unlike their cousins, the lusca, their jaws are modified for impalement rather then grip. Their jaws have their teeth facing horizontally like the pincers on a beetle. The bottom jaws have skin and muscle that hide the teeth and give the illusion that their mouth still has a floor. When they hunt down their prey, they unleash the jaws and shoot them out with an elastic tendon to quickly impale anything in the way. They envelop their food in the mouth sheaths and swallow their prey whole.

Mothers lay about 4-5 eggs per reproductive cycle. Nests can be found all across the southern kelp forests. The eggs recieve protection from the fathers and are left to fend for themselves a few weeks after hatching.

Lusca

Lusca (loliginesqualoformes) are an order of trignathid found mostly in the western hemisphere. They can be found living on the continental shelf and seamounts. Most of them range from about 4-6 feet long.

Lusca have a diet of mostly squid and schooling fish. As a result, they have developed a thin body with a strong tail to be more hydrodynamic. The only thing that hinders their speed is their jaws. Their two mandibles have small tentacles on the ends covered in hooked denticles and sharp teeth to hold their prey in place. They can move these tentacles in any direction they want. When their catch their prey, they hold the food with their tentacles and shred the meat with their jaws.

 They lay their spiny eggshells on reef dropoffs. They only lay about 2 eggs per season. The mothers will defend their eggs with their lives. The fathers will catch squid and small fish to bring back to the mother.

Makara

Makara (makaraformes) are a trignathid order found in the northern and southern kelp forests. They usually range from 8 inches to 3 feet in length. Their name comes from the hindu sea creature of the same name.

Makaras have an omnivorous diet and eat small crustaceans and algae. Instead of having tentacles on the ends of the jaws like the lusca, the mandibles have become the tentacles with a small section of cartilage to hold all the muscles. The insides of the tentacles contain small, rough, sandpaper-like teeth. They will either pick up small crustaceans with their tentacles and place them in their mouths or wrap their tentacles around rocks and scrape off the algae.

Mating season occurs during the late winter. They lay about 10 eggs per season and the hatchlings will receive almost no parental care. The eggs are laid on kelp and are shaped to look and act like kelp leaves. Pairings will switch between seasons and competition over who gets to mate with who is fierce.