Why it evolved

With food resources becoming unusually plentiful on Tethys Shallows, selection favors individuals that can capitalize on this surplus by growing larger and reproducing more quickly. This descendant exhibits accelerated growth, increased fecundity, and a pelagic juvenile stage, allowing it to outcompete rivals and exploit the abundant food like the Tideweed Bloater. The trade-off is a potential boom-bust vulnerability if food availability declines, as well as increased susceptibility to predation by larger generalists like the Tidewallow Gulpfish, which shares its enlarged mouth and accelerated growth strategy.