Tethys Shallows
A warm, shallow inland sea under a yellow sun and Earth-like gravity. Tidal mudflats meet brackish lagoons; oxygen is plentiful in the water, scarce in the thick muck.
42 species · 17 starting species
Starting species(17)
Mudfish
🐟 Fish
A small, hardy fish of the tidal shallows that grubs through silt for plankton and detritus.
Reed-Grazer
🦬 Grazer
A placid, broad-jawed creature that mows the algal mats coating the lagoon reeds.
Silt-Burrower
🦫 Burrower
A worm-like dweller of the oxygen-poor muck, sifting buried detritus from the silt.
Dart-Swimmer
🐬 Swimmer
A streamlined, restless swimmer that chases plankton clouds through open water.
Shoal-Hunter
🐅 Predator
A patient ambush predator that lurks at channel edges and lunges at passing shoals.
Skip-Glider
🦅 Flyer
Leaps from the water on stiffened fins, gliding over the surface to snatch drifting insects.
Tide-Crawler
🦎 Tetrapod
Hauls itself across exposed mudflats at low tide on four stubby limbs, gulping air.
Reed-Skater
🦗 Arthropod
Skims across the lagoon's surface film on six slender legs, snatching tiny prey.
Brine Pincer
🦀 Crustacean
A small armored scavenger that sidles through tidepools cleaning up the dead.
Shore Spinner
🕷️ Arachnid
Strings silk between reed stalks to snare drifting insects above the water.
Lagoon Squidling
🐙 Cephalopod
A tiny, quick-witted hunter that jets through the shallows, flushing its skin with color.
Reed Snail
🐌 Gastropod
Rasps algal films from reed stalks with a toothed radula, sheltering in a coiled shell.
Silt Threadworm
🪱 Worm
A segmented worm that threads through the oxygen-starved muck, eating buried detritus.
Drifter-Jelly
🪼 Cnidarian
Pulses gently through the warm shallows, trailing stinging tentacles to catch plankton.
Tideweed
🌿 Plant
A photosynthetic mat that roots across the sunlit mudflats, binding the silt.
Muckcap
🍄 Fungus
A decomposer fungus that blooms on rotting detritus, casting spores on the tide.
Mat-Builder
🦠 Microbe
A colonial microbe that layers itself into living stromatolite mats on the seafloor.
All species (42)
- MudfishEvo 1A small, hardy fish of the tidal shallows that grubs through silt for plankton and detritus.
- Reed-GrazerEvo 1A placid, broad-jawed creature that mows the algal mats coating the lagoon reeds.
- Silt-BurrowerEvo 1A worm-like dweller of the oxygen-poor muck, sifting buried detritus from the silt.
- Dart-SwimmerEvo 1A streamlined, restless swimmer that chases plankton clouds through open water.
- Shoal-HunterEvo 1A patient ambush predator that lurks at channel edges and lunges at passing shoals.
- Skip-GliderEvo 1Leaps from the water on stiffened fins, gliding over the surface to snatch drifting insects.
- Tide-CrawlerEvo 1Hauls itself across exposed mudflats at low tide on four stubby limbs, gulping air.
- Reed-SkaterEvo 1Skims across the lagoon's surface film on six slender legs, snatching tiny prey.
- Brine PincerEvo 1A small armored scavenger that sidles through tidepools cleaning up the dead.
- Shore SpinnerEvo 1Strings silk between reed stalks to snare drifting insects above the water.
- Lagoon SquidlingEvo 1A tiny, quick-witted hunter that jets through the shallows, flushing its skin with color.
- Reed SnailEvo 1Rasps algal films from reed stalks with a toothed radula, sheltering in a coiled shell.
- Silt ThreadwormEvo 1A segmented worm that threads through the oxygen-starved muck, eating buried detritus.
- Drifter-JellyEvo 1Pulses gently through the warm shallows, trailing stinging tentacles to catch plankton.
- TideweedEvo 1A photosynthetic mat that roots across the sunlit mudflats, binding the silt.
- MuckcapEvo 1A decomposer fungus that blooms on rotting detritus, casting spores on the tide.
- Mat-BuilderEvo 1A colonial microbe that layers itself into living stromatolite mats on the seafloor.
- Mud-StalkerEvo 2A patient predator that burrows into the warm mudflats, ambushing prey that ventures too close.
- Drought-DwellerEvo 2A smaller, more resilient grazer that can survive brief periods out of water by burrowing into damp mud.
- Gasping MudfishEvo 2A slightly larger variant of the Mudfish, this descendant has evolved to cope with fluctuating oxygen levels by supplementing its gill respiration.
- Tidewallow GulpfishEvo 2A larger, more robust version of the Mudfish, this species has adapted to capitalize on the abundant food sources of the Tethys Shallows.
- Spore-TideweedEvo 2This Tideweed has evolved to release buoyant, spore-like structures that drift on the currents, seeking new patches of mudflat to colonize. Its mat-forming tendency is reduced, prioritizing dispersal over dense anchoring.
- Dart-DrifterEvo 2A larger, more buoyant swimmer that drifts through the open water, passively feeding on plankton.
- Tideweed BloaterEvo 3A larger, faster-reproducing grazer that exploits the abundant Tideweed, laying large clutches of eggs to ensure offspring survival.
- Famine FinsEvo 3This descendant has a leaner build and a more aggressive foraging strategy to maximize calorie intake in lean times.
- Lagoon-Bound GulpfishEvo 3This isolated Gulpfish has adapted to a more sedentary life, relying on its enlarged mouth to exploit any available food source in its shrinking territory.
- Lagoon-SkimmerEvo 3A streamlined swimmer that now prefers the muddy lagoon floor, using elongated fins to scull close to the substrate.
- Storm-Tide GulpfishEvo 3A stockier, more streamlined Gulpfish that hugs the substrate during storms, its flattened profile and enhanced fins allowing it to weather extreme conditions.
- GulpfinEvo 4A generalist fish blending opportunistic feeding with a larger mouth for gulping prey, suited for the fluctuating conditions of Tethys Shallows.
- Tethys Bloom-EaterEvo 4This Gulpfish has shifted its focus to the abundant algae and detritus of the shallows, developing a more efficient feeding apparatus.
- Mud-DiverEvo 4A bottom-dweller that has evolved a flatter, more compact form to better conceal itself in the substrate.
- Resilient GulpfishEvo 4This Gulpfish has evolved a robust immune system and a more solitary existence to survive endemic disease.
- Symbiotic GulpfishEvo 4This Gulpfish variant has developed subtle bilateral asymmetries and enhanced chemosensory organs, facilitating coordination with a potential symbiotic partner.
- Verdant Tidewallow GulpfishEvo 5A larger, faster-reproducing generalist fish that exploits abundant food sources, investing in rapid growth and more offspring.
- Tethys GlimmerfinEvo 5This fish has developed vibrant, iridescent scales and enlarged dorsal fins, used in dazzling courtship displays to attract mates.
- SalinavigatorEvo 5A bottom-dwelling herbivore that has developed a remarkable ability to regulate its internal salt balance.
- Cooperative GulpfishEvo 5This Gulpfish has evolved specialized lures to attract potential symbiotic partners, trading some defensive capabilities for mutualistic benefits.
- Spiny Symbiotic GulpfishEvo 5This Gulpfish variant has developed defensive spines and a slightly reduced mouth, relying more on cooperative hunting tactics and partner detection for survival.
- Brackish Glimmer-GhastEvo 6A sluggish, iridescent fish adapted to low-oxygen mudflats, with a mouth capable of both filter-feeding and grasping small prey.
- Osmotic GulpfishEvo 6This Gulpfish variant has developed enhanced physiological mechanisms to cope with drastic salinity changes, sacrificing some social efficiency for individual resilience.
- Tidal ShifterEvo 7A more active, elongated fish with robust gills and streamlined fins, adapted for a life increasingly spent in fluctuating water levels.
- Detox GulpfishEvo 7This Gulpfish has evolved specialized glands and gill structures to actively filter and neutralize toxins from the water, allowing it to survive in increasingly polluted environments.
Tree of life
- resilient
- strained
- fragile
- ★ canon
- 🧬 hybrid
- 💀 extinct
Click a species in the tree to evolve or cross-breed it here, without leaving this world. Double-click a node to open its full page.