White muckfish

The white muckfish (honatonashar vraqodo) is a species of freshwater fish native to T'vaqi. The species is the source of nearly all ink used for heraldry tattoos.

Distribution

White muckfish are found in freshwater lakes, rivers, and streams across T'vaqi. They are most plentiful in and around Lake Sky, and thus contribute significantly to the economy of surrounding settlements (namely the city of Hoshtona). White muckfish prefer to live in murky or unclear patches of water, a behavior which gives them their name.

The fish are edible when cooked, though preparation involves thorough cleaning and the removal of a tough outer scale layer, the difficulty of which makes them uncommon in cuisine.

Appearance

Adult white muckfish average a length of 1.8 doqoni (20.2 cm) and a weight of 1.2 otami (0.72 kg). Their scales are a non-reflective gray-white color. The scales of the fins are opaque. White muckfish have whisker-like barbels protruding from and around their mouths, which serve to detect food in murky waters. The eyes of white muckfish are small and beady.

White muckfish do not exhibit sexual dimorphism. Females are distinguished by the presence of an egg sac, which males do not have.

Behavior

White muckfish are carnivores; smaller fish and river snails make up the majority of their diet. Their preferred hunting strategy is to stay near the floor and swim in an inward spiral until disrupted, at which point they will begin another spiral. White muckfish are solitary and do not seek out the company of others. Schools of white muckfish are rarely observed and typically do not exceed ten members.

Male white muckfish reproduce by releasing clouds of reproductive material into the water, which can be absorbed by females to fertilize eggs. This material is released through a sac-like organ located on the underside, below the digestive tract. Both males and females possess this organ and produce the material, but only the material produced by males is fertile. The material serves a double purpose as a means of distraction; white muckfish will typically release the material if they know they are in danger.

The reproductive material produced by white muckfish is collected in large quantities by fisheries, and sold as tattoo ink. When dried on the skin, the substance adopts a whitish color and is difficult to remove.