Spectember 27: Belly Up

This entry is canon to The Neozoic

If you were to sail on the ocean 100 million years in the future, you would see flying creatures that seem to be seabirds at first glance. But flying birds are scarce in this era, and these animals are not birds at all, but ocean-going bats. These bats swoop low over the water to snatch prey from the surface, but unlike seabirds, they will not land on the surface of the water-- and for good reason.

The Snipersquid (Anversiteuthis nycterophagus) is one of many species of large squid that have flourished in this future world, following a mass extinction that severely reduced many groups of fish. While most of its relatives are sleek, shark-like predators of fish and other squid, the Snipersquid has evolved a more passive, and more insidious, approach to predation.

It spends its entire adult life in an upside-down position, hovering under the surface of the water with its lateral fins holding it steady. Its skin contains sophisticated chromatophores, allowing it to blend in seamlessly with both the water and with schools of fish. Once that happens, all it needs to do is wait for one of the fishing sea-bats to fly low. Then its tentacles shoot above the water, seize their victim, and drag it under to be eaten.

Of course, Snipersquid do not feed only on flying animals; they will also eat surface-dwelling fish and squid, and scavenge floating carrion. But their upside-down anatomy is uniquely adapted for being an aquatic animal that preys on creatures in the air.