Geb - Fluctopraevehos

Name: Fluctopraevehos
Name meaning: Wave Rider
Phylum: Atroxoris
Class: Vegrandisomes

Of all bony predators on Geb, this one is probably one of the most bizarre. Fluctopraevehos, also known by its common name "Surfer", are an evolutionary mystery. Over the course of evolution, its possible that their feet have expanded and filled with matter that granted it buoyancy. Eventually, they fused together into a single large surface until they formed a surfboard. This allows it to remain at the water surface where it rides the waves looking for food. A fast moving tongue tipped with barbs allow it to snag small pisce and sometimes carry them on the board until they are scraped of their flesh. They can change direction by flexing their ankles and knees or by swinging their tails. Their long ears provide much needed balance and allow them to remain upright. Even if a wave flips them upside down, their flexibility will allow them to return to a safe position.

The real mystery lies in when these animals actually came to be. The oceans of Geb have a low salt level, therefor most of them were covered with ice sheets, not ideal for surfing on waves. Perhaps their large feet were formerly snowshoes to prevent sinking in the snow or were used to "snowboard" after food. Further research would be required to confirm this but finding fossils of Surfer ancestors will be very difficult because any evidence would have sank to the bottom of the giant ocean during the meltdown.

Because Surfers are constantly exposed to the elements, many animals seem to experience some degree of sunburn. Every individual observed was mainly red in color and the skin on their backs had a few burnt marks. However, their skin do secrete an oil that acts like sunscreen as long as they eat enough of certain species of pisces that provide the proper nutrients. Therefor, Surfers may only experience sunburn during brief periods when food becomes scarce.

"This I think was a pretty risky creature to develop but definitely one of my favorites simply because of its originality. The Atroxoris phylum already has its share of silly looking creatures and Surfers make quite a nice addition. This way, we have an animal that can fully exploit the great waves of Geb's oceans."

The board has many other interesting features:
The fin may actually be the former left foot toe that evolved to help the animal maintain balance.
What remains of the other toes can be seen at the front tip of the board
If this animal ever gets beached, it can return to an upright position by flipping its tail. It must waddle back to the water however as staying grounded too long would attract the attention of predators.

We'll all be gone for the summer
Were on safari to stay
Tell the teacher we're surfin'
Surfin' U.S.A.
-Beach Boys