Limax klathi, or the honey squid, is a keystone mutualist in the swamps of Murkmir. Keystone mutualists are essential species that engage in mutually beneficial activity between one or more other species. Honey squids fit into this role by significantly cleaning up excess biotic material, which helps the ecosystem as a whole, and pollinating several species of plants that would be otherwise difficult to pollinate, which helps only those specific plants. Click to learn More about keystone species
The tentacles of honey squid function like probosci- they suck different liquids, such as nectar and fruit juices, through a hole at the end of it to absorb the nutrients they require. They may even consume the carcasses of other animals if it is soft enough. Click to learn More about probusci
Male honey squids are much smaller than their female counterparts (called sexual dimorphism), being only 3-5 inches tall. They are much more abundant than the larger, slow-growing females, with a ratio of 20-40 males per female. At the top of their ‘heads’ are their reproductive organs, which they use to fertilize the eggs the female releases. As the eggs mature and get ready to hatch, the male will latch onto one of the female’s large head strands, rapidly digest themselves, and become a nutrient-rich goop for the newly hatched honey squids to consume. Click to learn more about sexual dimorphism Click to learn more about males getting canabalized
Honey squids have long, fleshy legs that help them stick to surfaces and transport themselves. They have fleshy pads on the bottom that secrete extra mucus and are rougher than the rest of their body, so they can easily cross tricky terrain.
Both sexes feature a light, flowy 'skirt' at the base of their bodies. At smaller sizes, honey squids utilize it like jellyfish— launching from surfaces and pumping to keep afloat. This function is also similar to parachutes. Since female honey squids never stop growing (like lobsters!), their skirts become useless once they are too heavy to float; however, since the skirt does not cause a hindrance at their larger size, it did not evolve to fall off or never develop in the first place. When animals have a useless organ that does not disappear with evolution, it is called a vestigial organ. Click to learn more about vestigial organs
Their skirt features bright red and green coloring with a translucent, leaf-life texture. These colors are helpful for camouflage, a phenomenon where animals have specific patterns on their bodies, whether fur or flesh, that help them blend into their environment. This feature is helpful for both predators and prey—predators can hide while hunting, allowing them to catch their meal by surprise, and prey can better hide from the predators that hunt them. to learn more about camouflage
Like many gastropods, honey squids' digestive systems feature a crop. Crops are located between the mouth and the stomach and hold food before digestion. Honey squids spend most of their time awake searching for and eating food, and crops help store food while waiting for digestion. Click to learn more about crops
Due to the swamp's poor soil quality, flowering and fruiting plants are sparse. As such, the larger of the two sexes evolved to be opportunistic omnivores rather than nectarivores to sustain their bigger bodies. Female honey squids have also evolved a robust liver that allows them to consume otherwise poisonous plants. Click to learn more about opportunistic omnivores
Honey squids, like slugs and snails, secrete mucus. This mucus repels most predators, protects against bacteria and viruses by preventing cuts and scrapes, and helps with mobility and sticking to surfaces. Click here to learn more about mucus
Unlike most animals in the real world, honey squids have a reproductive system in their heads. However, as they have no eyes, ears, or complete skeleton, they do not have a traditional organ layout. (This is similar to how snails lay eggs in real life, as their genital pores are very high up on their necks) Both sexes have their reproductive organs on the top 'knob.' Females spray hundreds of tiny eggs through their 'heads,' and a group of males works vigorously to fertilize them. Click here to learn more about gastropod reproduce system
The top 'hairs' of honey squids are slightly sticky due to even tinier hairs covering each strand. They shelter the much smaller males and other bugs that get rid of parasites and the like in return for a safe hiding place. They also catch eggs when the female lays them.
At the end of their tentacles, many spiny filiform papillae (usually found on the tongue) help honey squids grip and mash food into a consumable substance. Sensory cells located at the ends of the tentacles and sparsely around the rest of the body allow them to taste and smell through their skin. Click here to learn more about papillae