Life In The Dark

Pelagic predator pen sketch. More on this soon.

First Light

Dawn breaks in the desert, revealing a scurrying frenzy of creatures returning to shelter after the night’s mischief. Tallest among them, the Cycloptic Night-Seeker surveys the scene looking for any last morsel of food before the day’s solar onslaught forces its retreat into shadow. The Testapallidus at its feet may prove an ideal treat, unless the sand-swimming Armored Loricatus captures it first. Though the Testapallidus’ hard dorsal shell protects it from most threats, the Night-Seeker possesses a keen intellect, curious disposition, and two formidable front appendages that are as dextrous as they are sharp. Usually too quick for the large hunter, a trio of gregarious Desert Sentinels are more concerned with ambush predators such as the Loricatus, and one inflates its signaling air sacs in alarm. Already, members of the desert’s daytime cast are making an appearance. Luteos have positioned themselves at the top of the ridge to greet the first slanted rays. Relying on photosynthesis for a large portion of their metabolism, they tilt their bodies to follow the sun throughout the day. In a short time, more heat-tolerant daylight denizens will take the stage and play out their part in the everyday drama of the high desert.

Grandulus

Trifasciatus grandulus

I should preface the description of this creature by giving a short statement about the natural history of its home planet. Early in its evolutionary history, life on this world did not split into such rigidly defined taxa as it did on Earth. For example, the majority of multicellular earth-life is divided into autotrophic creatures (plants) which are immobile, and the highly mobile heterotrophs (animals). On grandulus’s planet, the peculiar biochemistry allows for a much higher rate of horizontal gene transfer and endocytosis. This means that instead of a taxonomic “tree of life” like on Earth, their evolutionary history looks more like a web. In short, this allows for a wide array of photosynthetic, yet mobile creatures. The grandulus is one of these. It moves around slowly with its sticky appendages and positions itself in a spot with maximum sunlight to unfold its inflatable photosynthetic organ from its posterior shell. It also feeds on the internal fluids of metaflora, as well as decaying organic matter. Its many species range in size from that of a quarter to the size of a hippo.

Quick sketch I hope to make into a full painting later.

I've decided to start posting sketches more often, as they comprise over 90% of my artistic time. This is the Greater Parvasalia. It travels in large groups, is about the size of a hamster, and is generally non-aggressive. More details as they are developed.

You are one of my biggest inspirations for creature design. Your aliens are beautiful and unique, and when I look at your art it feels like I’m actually there! Your art is beautiful

Thank you so much! I’m honored to be an inspiration for you.

A common site in these dry rocky areas is the Velumignus. Their immobile bases send tendrils deep underground in search of water, while the photosynthetic flattened upper portions can swivel to accommodate for light and wind direction. Reaching a height of over fifteen feet, these silent sun-catchers often serve as way-finding posts to creatures journeying through the High Desert.

Placid Segmaris

Caelumbestiae placidus

The Placid Segmaris is the sole food source of the Sky Shepherd. They are essentially floating livestock that are nurtured, herded, and protected until such time as the shepherds need to consume them. The tri-part symbiosis between the Sky Shepherds, the Segmaris, and their large floating counterpart (partially visible as the reddish-brown creature on the right side of the image) is rather complicated, and will be the subject of further works. Helpless on their own, the Segmaris relies on its symbionts for neary everything- protection, reproduction, much of their locomotion, and Hydrogen. The only thing it is capable of accomplishing by itself is the acquisition of food- which is does by filtering particles and small microfauna from the dense atmosphere where it lives. Adults are around 50 feet long at maximum, young start out around a foot long.

Tripodal Plains Runner

An agile and fast herd-dwelling inhabitor of the open plains, this creature posesses no true jointed appendages. Its legs and periscope are comprised of rigid, yet flexible hydraulic tubes. Sensory organs are clustered on the top of its upward-pointing appendage to give maximum perspective even during more vulnerable moments like feeding.