Charybdis Fish by salpfish1

The Charybdis Sea, the largest body of water on Tregama, was named for these animals. Although they are called Charybdis fish, the species in this picture is only about 40-50 cm long. This is a small species, though. It is called the pigmy torpem. The largest whirlpool feeding species are up to 2 m in length. They are all filter feeders and surface feeders, using a whirlpool to suck in small water striding animals and plankton. Almost all species related to this have 6 valves, which allows them to swim more smoothly than most animals that use valves to swim.

inkdoodler Featured By Owner Apr 2, 2016

How do they create the whirlpool. I had a couple different creatures like this.

salpfish1 Featured By Owner Apr 3, 2016 Hobbyist General Artist

By pumping water through their body quickly near the water's surface. It sucks water downward, creating the whirlpool.

inkdoodler Featured By Owner Apr 7, 2016

Pumps then? That's very different from my two ideas. :) (Smile)

salpfish1 Featured By Owner Apr 8, 2016 Hobbyist General Artist

What were they?

inkdoodler Featured By Owner Apr 9, 2016

One idea I had after creating a surface vortex in the swimming pool by rapidly pivoting my forearm underwater. Objects on the surface were drawn under. I then imagined an arthropod-esque creature running around the inside of its detachable shell with one long appendage extended upwards. This would pull leaves and drowning insects from the surface underneath where they could be captured.

The other idea was of a funnel that would briefly pop above the surface (or allow the trough of a wave to pass by) so that the water level in the funnel is higher than the surroundings. Below there would be a drain with a filter to catch debris and shuffle it into the throat. The water would swirl around when it went down the drain.

These would both only work in very shallow water.