ORICHALCUM UNIVERSE Sidebar: Archipelagan Dolphin...

[Johnny1A.2]

ORICHALCUM UNIVERSE Sidebar: Archipelagan Dolphin...

TAXONOMY: Solarigen Terrigen Eukaryota Animalia Chordata Mammalia Artiodactyla Cetacea Delphinidae Veranidelphin Archipelaga archipelaga

The planet Veranis (Dyaxor-A V) is home to five species of Delphinidae, as cataloged by Terrestrian naturalists as of late 2124. All appear to be relatively close kin, and Terrestrian biologists are mostly of the opinion that all evolved from a single species of dolphin introduced to Veranis at some point in prehistory, by unknown agents. [1]

The species Archipelaga archipelaga is found primarily in the enormous area of islands and shallow seas in and around the Southeastern Archipelago of the Northern Continent of Veranis. Colloquially known as the Archpelagan Dolphin to Terrestrians, they are one of the rare species of naturally psionically active animals.

The Archipelagan Dolphin:

A typical adult male:

Average length: 4.6-5 meters

ST: 42 (41 in females)
DX: 8
IQ: 7
HT: 16

Advantages:

Acute Hearing 5
Alertness 5
Biosonar
Independently Focusable Eyes
Longevity*
Nictating Membrane
Oxygen Storage
Peripheral Vision
Pressure Support 3
Psionically Active
Temperature Tolerance
Ultrasonic Communication

Disadvantages:
Aquatic
Distractible
Mute*
No Manipulators*
No Sense of Smell
Obligate Carnivore

Though the orca is their closest current Terrestrian kin, they do not much resemble the 'killer whales'. They tend to shades of gray, with little in the ways of countershading. They are not much smaller than the orcas, but are more slightly built and not quite as strong. They can dive much deeper than the orca, or indeed most Terrestrian dolphins in general, and they are in fact semi-pelagic predators. They gather much of their calories in deep dives off the continental shelf, they their preferred habitation is the shallows.

The Archipelagan Dolphin averages noticeably more intelligent than their Terrestrian relatives (or for that matter than the other delphin species of Veranis, with which they are not interfertile). Though measuring animal intelligence quantitatively is notoriously difficult, most Terrestrian naturalists studying them have concluded that they are on average more intelligent an adult chimpanzees. They also show signs of very limited but noticeable abstraction in their thought processes.

Archipelagan Dolphins are very long-lived by delphin standards, with many individuals living as much as a Terrestrial century. They are also more curious and less hidebound than most of their fellow dolphins.

Archipelagan Dolphins divide about equally by sex, and tend to form long term monogamous pair bonds, though exceptions have been observed. Pods of Archipelagan Dolphins are made up of bonded male-female pairs, usually ten to fifteen such pairs, and their immature offspring. Some pods are patrilineal, with the young females mating out of the pod into other pods, others are matrilineal with young males being transitory members. Pods thus tend to be extended family groups.

A given pod (usually) stakes out a territory, but 'visits' from members of other pods who are related by genetics are common and usually peaceful. That is, for example, in a pod made up of extended male relations, females who have 'mated out' often return for social visits and interaction. The same is observed of matrilineal pods.

At irregular intervals, groups of more distantly related pods are observed to come together in mass gatherings that can last as much as a week. These seem to serve as a chance for matings to happen, for separated kin to socialize, and possibly other purposes as well. Such 'gatherings' have been observed to include as many as one hundred Archipelagan Dolphins, though thirty to fifty are much more common.

The Archipelagan Dolphin is an apex predator, at least during maturity. Some local versions of sharks and other predators occasionally prey on the very young, the sickly, and the elderly, but this is exceptional, because the pods are very protective of their members, especially their young, and can and will organize mass attacks against such predators.

Archipelagan Dolphins reach sexual maturity after about ten Terrestrial years, and females can remain fertile for as long as fifty Terrestrial years. On average, they mate about every three Veranisian years, or between five and six Terrestrial years. A female will not mate while caring for a juvenile.

MORE LATER.


* Partly/totally linked to, or partly/totally mitigated by, psionic talent.

[1] Both hypotheses are correct. About ten megayears earlier, the Familiar Eldren introduced a population of dolphin stock closely related to the ancestors of Terrestrian orcas, and from this species the various different species of dolphin on Veranis evolved.