The Artechocene Explorer

The Anthropic Mass Extinction was particularly devastating to chondrichthyans, their slow reproductive rate and position in the food chain made them vulnerable to ecological collapse and overfishing: from sawfish, manta rays and multiple entire shark orders, they left quite an ecological gap when they died out. However, a few managed to fare better than the rest, ready to take the place of their extinct pelagic cousins:

Wide-finned Predators:

Shocksharks (Eunicetidae): these are a quite unique group of pelagic mesopredators in the Artechocene oceans. This monotypic family represents the last living members of the Torpediniformes, the electric rays. Anoxic events pushed the more benthic members of this clade into extinction, leaving the semi-pelagic ones to evolve. The wide fins of these animals are not used for propulsion as it may seem, but purely for steering and storing its main hunting weapon, its electric organs. They use these to envelop and electrocute one or multiple prey items in between their fins, only to swallow them whole. Although they usually tackle small prey, they can kill animals as large as themselves with a well placed shock.

Direjaw Mantas (Dinomobuloididae): these animals may be reminiscent of the extinct manta rays at first glance, but the similarities are purely superficial. These stingray descendants are adapted for pelagic predation, chasing down fish, seabirds and marine reptiles; cutting their escape routes with its large find, and using suction and multiple rows of armour-piercing, backwards facing teeth to ensure they don't escape. Despite this, they are not the largest predators around by far, and have multiple stingers and rows of dermal denticles to protect themselves against larger predators.

Survivors from the Shallows:

Houndsharks (Triakidae): a group that could be considered as a "living fossil", as a lot of their members have undergone little change since the Holocene apart from an increase in size. However, some genera have broken off from this trend like the lancesharks (Cetophimimus sp.), mesopredators of small prey that partake in a very unique behaviour: they can be seen travelling amongst pods of tiamats, taking advantage of their hunting tactics to hunt and search for food, with some species having similar coloration as the juveniles or adults of certain species.

Clamjaw Sharks (Conchodontidae): a group that almost went extinct, the orectolobiforms managed to barely hang on and thrive, giving rise to clades like the clamjaws. These robust durophages typically patrol benthic habitats in search for shellfish, but a few species have adapted to tackle slightly different prey. The plastroncrush sharks (Testudophagus sp.) are such species, being adapted to chase and tackle the many types of sea turtles that cruise through open waters, using their crushing jaws to grab onto and crush the shell before swallowing prey whole.

Former Terrors of the Deep:

Spotlight Sharks (Lampavenatoridae): these descendants of taillight sharks differ a lot from their small, unassuming ancestors, as they are now agile hunters of significant size. One thing they did retain from their ancestors is a couple of large glands at the base of their tails, capable of releasing a bioluminescent cloud into the surrounding environment. This is normally used as a defence mechanism against larger predators, as the bright cloud often helps disorient them. However, during their breeding period, they congregate in large groups around shallow bays and atolls, and males release these same large clouds, swimming around them, swirling and forming patterns to impress females.

Spinefin Sharks (Tachysqualidae): these descendants of sleeper sharks have adapted their scales to act as defence, being covered in thousands of spiny denticles that help deter predators not no approach. These are more prominent in smaller species, as in larger genera, like the Ocean Spinefins (Megaspinosus sp.) these are just relegated to small rows on the top of the animal. These are also very generalist predators, having an extremely wide diet that pretty much includes everything they can fit in their mouths. This means they play an important part in the open ocean's ecosystem, being one of the first animals to arrive and clean any carcasses that appear floating on the surface.

The Apex Predator of the Artechocene:

Although deep sea sharks survived the extinction with fewer losses than their surface dwelling relatives, a lot of the survivors were not much larger than the lanternfishes and bristlemouths they preyed on, making the pool of pelagic sharks not have many contenders to becoming large macropredators once again any time soon; except one, the sleeper sharks. Even though a lot of the larger members of the family had been wiped out, their smaller members managed to pull through. And as soon as the prey in the oceans started to grow in size, these generalist predators started to specialise in taking these nutritious new prey down. Without competition, they grew uncontrolled and quickly became the largest predators around, the Star-toothed Sharks (Asterodontidae)

These massive squaliforms have specialised for taking down the largest of prey, with broad, deep-rooted and serrated teeth that can deliver devastating bites. Unlike other similar predators, these sharks are crepuscular, preferring dawn and dusk to hunt prey better, when the dimming light highlights prey on the surface, but hides their shape in the deep. They inhabit waters across the world, with the largest of them all, the Kamoho Shark (Asterodon scutii) having the widest distribution, being cosmopolitan across all oceans, migrating from feeding ground to feeding ground and to specific shallow ocean areas to give birth. This species can reach sizes of more than 12 metres and over 13 tons, making them the largest predators not only in water, but the largest predator of the Artechocene.

Toothed Reptilian Predators:

The rise in temperatures in the following million years after the extinction, coupled with the extinction of marine mammals, helped the cold blooded reptiles to jump into the ocean and become the dominant aquatic vertebrate group around. However, the only one that has remained successful and dominant as pelagic predators have been the charchelons, as other groups have found limited or temporary success in these competitive oceans:

Serfishes (Protocetophiidae): these are the smaller relatives of the tiamats, which still retain predatory habits into their adulthood, even retaining venom glands, which tiamats entirely lack. Before the evolution of the filter feeding tiamats, serfishes were much more successful and diverse, but when tiamats started to arise, their young started to intensely compete with them; as young tiamats didn't have to compete with adults for food, they managed to outcompete the serfishes. Now, only a single genus remains, Paracetophis, which have adapted a unique strategy to compete with their bigger relatives. A big portion of their diet consists of young tiamats, often congregating around their birthing reunions to try and snatch newborns, their venom glands helping to subdue the young of larger species.

Navalodiles (Galleonosuchinae): a couple of crocodilian clades jumped into oceanic waters when the climate started to warm, but out of all of them, only the large, thin-snouted navalodiles were able to conquer the open oceans. Their elongated, hydrodynamic bodies made them able to achieve surprisingly fast speed for animals their size, making them perfect to hunt small fish in the wide open ocean, where prey has nowhere to hide. This habitat choice also made them able to cross huge distances, allowing them access to predator free islands to lay their eggs and raise their young, further increasing their success.

The Anthropic Extinction Event was massively damaging to the oceans, eliminating most surface dwelling pelagic fish, specially large pelagic predators. These were not only often heavily harvested themselves, but their main sources of food faced extinction too due to anoxic events and over harvesting, ultimately killing them off the face of the earth.

In the 39 million years since the extinction though, a myriad of groups have taken on these empty niches, adapting to rise to the top of the food chain, here are some notable examples of these "sea monsters":

Tuna Mimics:

Kobias (Basilothunnoididae): These carangiforms were one of the first groups of shallow water fish to venture into the open ocean, and have thus become one of the most successful. They have a range of sizes, but the largest of all are macroraptorial, feeding on large prey using their serrated, wedge shaped teeth, using their speed to catch them. The King Kobia (Basilothunnoides rex) is the largest of them, measuring up to more than 5 metres long, and is one of the few predators actually specialised for hunting adult tiamats.

Cuchonitos (Sardomimidae): These lizardfish descendants haven't achieved the grand sizes of the kobias, but they are still fairly successful across the world, using blade-like tooth rows scissor-like jaw arrangement to cut through unsuspecting prey into manageable pieces it can swallow.

Thick-Headed Hunters of the Deep:

Ramtunas (Bathoarietidae): These unique predatory sunfish evolved alongside squid and other pelagic cephalopods, which exploded in abundance and diversity after the extinction wiped out most surface pelagic fish. As their prey grew, so did they, and developed quite a unique way of bringing them down: their reinforced heads allowes them to cause massive damage to their internal skeleton, inhibiting movement or instantly killing the target. After that, the ramtuna starts quickly cutting and suctioning small chunks from the body to eat, while slowly drifting in the current to conserve energy. The Great Ramtuna (Bathoarietum crassus) is the largest of them all, with the largest individuals approaching 3 metres in length, being able to tackle even the largest cephalopods around.

Keelheads (Peroplouichthyidae): These fast swimmers are also descendants of small predators of soft bodied prey, typically inhabiting the deep sea. Now, they have become fast swimmers that use their reinforced nasal bones to ram into smaller prey items, typically smaller fish they can swallow whole after incapacitating them. The largest species however, like the Salamis' Keelhead (Peroplouichthys salamis), can tackle larger prey items, like small sharks, juvenile marine reptiles or even seabirds.

Emigrants of the Abyss:

Pricklemouths (Letopecteninae): Bristlemouths, as one of the most abundant vertebrates on earth, survived the extinction relatively unscathed, but unlike other similar groups like lanternsfishes, they stayed relatively unchanged, with only a few clades adapting to surface waters, the pricklemouths being amongst them. They are not the largest, but definitely a very successful midwater mesopredators worldwide.

Cleaverfish (Guillotinognathidae): They are descendants of squaretails, starting as small predators of soft bodied prey like sea jellies. Like ramtunas, they were able to grow in size and diversity as their potential prey, cephalopods, exploded in abundance. Their mouth arrangement helped to hunt this type of prey, their lips creating a powerful suction force, coupled with a quick snap of a row of razor sharp teeth that act as a cleaver.

Cavallies (Hoplocarangidae): These descendants of deep sea barrelfish developed in their transition to shallower waters a set of modified dorsal scales and spines that form a spiky armor that protects them from predators. It's the most extended in the smaller, reef dwelling relatives of the group, but it is still kept by the larger, more pelagic members like the Bluespot Cavally (Hoplocaranx thalassinopunctatus).

Freshwater Invaders:

Squalmons (Salmosqualus sp.): these are large predators that exclusively live in the open ocean, coming to nutrient-rich estuaries to undergo a drastic transformation in preparation for spawning and attracting mates. Unlike their ancestors, this transformation is reversible, and the structures and colours are shed or reabsorbed after spawning.

Old World Seachlids (Pontotilapiidae): the term refers to saltwater cichlids native to the waters around Afro-Eurasia and Australia belonging to different families, with Seachlids being a larger umbrella term that encompasses clades descendants of cichlids native to the Americas. While these mostly stay on continental shelves, hence their geographical distinction, some live in the open ocean, like the surfperches (Megastoma sp.), a genus of surface predators that cruise around the Indo-Pacific.

Wolfmollies (Lycopoeciliidae): one of the most unusual groups of saltwater fish that can be found in the shallow oceans of the Artechocene are the wolfmollies, aggressive hunters that stalk and hunt prey in large groups, chasing it down at high speeds. Although they are mostly native to coastal waters, barramollies (Ensiphallus sp.) are uncharacteristically pelagic, being found in a much wider range than their relatives.

Sharkcats (Selachariidae): descendants of ariids, they adapted to fill mostly benthic predatory niches, with some of them, like the deepwater sharkcat (Selacharius profundus) venturing into the open ocean, using their sensory capabilities to detect prey in the dark twilight zone.

Long Snouted Hunters:

Macanafish (Macuahuitlidae): gars are another one of the freshwater groups that quickly entered oceans and found great success, especially around the Americas. The Macanafish are one of these groups of gar descendants, that have spread across the world's oceans, adopting the ridged scales of sharks, with an extra added sharpness that can be used as defence, and a long, spear shaped snout that although it is used when hunting smaller prey, it is also very useful during intraspecific combat for territorial rights.

Sawlips (Prionolabiidae): this is a clade of lizardfish that had evolved their outer teeth rows to point outwards, forming a formidable weapon to incapacitate prey. It is an almost exclusively benthic clade, with members of this family staying close to the bottom, usually buried until the perfect moment to strike, except for one species, the Pelagic Sawlip (Volaticoserrae purpurascens). This species endemic to the Pacific Ocean swims up in the water column, quickly pursuing and swinging its snout across shoals of small fishes and squid.

Invertebrate Menace:

Squid very favoured by the Anthropic Mass Extinction Event. With bony fish suffering much more losses in diversity during this event, squid and other mollusks managed to maintain a fair amount of their previous diversity, and quickly rebounded to become a major player in the ecosystems of the Artechocene oceans. Small predators, filter feeders, and a group that contains large macropredators that evolved the ability to do something extraordinary, co-operative hunting, the Army Squid (Strategoteuthidae):

These giant firefly squid initially evolved a series of photophore patterns for communication, with red photophores for communicating deep underwater without being noticed by predators. Later they evolved to use those communication abilities to hunt, coordinating attacks to prey much larger than themselves. They travel in the hundreds, their photophores appearing as a shoal of lanternsfish, luring prey to strike. They are menacing predators, as even the largest marine creatures struggle with an attack from a particularly large group of the largest species, the Admiral Squid (Strategoteuthis strategos), being quickly overwhelmed by the mass of strong beaks and tentacles.

After a long time, another one is added to the list! I'm still working on the living armor, but the piece is getting really overwhelming so I chose to relax a bit with a bit of a simpler one, a dangerous (and delicious) danger to adventurers searching for treasure: the Mimic (Arcarcinus occultus)

Close-ups and notes on the design choices:

The name is a reference to it being a) a crab and b) living inside chests and other containers (arca- meaning chest and -carcinus meaning crab) and occultus referencing his habits of being often hidden and out of sight.

The general anatomy is not dissimilar to that of a normal hermit crab, the original design does differ from these in that the abdomen is indeed armoured, which is seen in the largest of the hermit crabs, the coconut crab. One of the things I added was the suction cup structure, which I did because the usual structure hermit crabs use to grab onto their shells doesn't really work for the unusual shells the mimics use. One thing to note also is that it is mentioned that there is a difference between males and females that can be identified by flipping them over, however it is not specified, so I assumed it was talking about the gonopores and abdominal legs female hermit crabs have, but males lack completely

I referenced its really cool habit of choosing spots that are visible and attractive enough to lure in adventurers, but hidden enough to not attract the attention of their predators, not only because they (probably) have relatively weak shells and because coin bugs probably are constantly searching for mimics to parasitize.

Another aspect I managed to put into the piece that I find even cooler is their ontogeny. It's specified that young mimics use all sorts of objects to protect themselves until they're big enough to carry a whole chest with them. From mugs, pots, plates, helmets and even skulls of dead animals! The mimic larvae are only shown on the anime in ONE single instance, and they're shown to be very similar to the larvae of normal hermit crabs, which are aquatic, so I assumed mimics release their eggs in bodies of water like coconut crabs and then the larvae come onto land when they're grown enough.

The Amazon Mega-Wetland is a natural wonder of the Artechocene Earth. This incredibly vast array of canals and flooded forests is formed by the Amazon and Negro rivers draining into Lake Manaus; a large, brackish and shallow body of water directly connected to the Atlantic. It's the largest delta system in the world, and supports an incredible array of biodiversity, amongst them, a unique clade of amphibians endemic to the Americas, the Arencocuajos (Piscogyrinoidea).

These are amphibians that spend much of their lives as tadpoles, up to 5 or 6 years in some cases, and the adult frog stage only serves a reproductive purpose, living a month at maximum, and often dying right after laying and fertilizing eggs.

They are very widespread and diverse, and the Mega-Wetland offers a place where members of all the major clades are found. The most common are the Piscogyrinids, the "standard" arencocuajos, which as juveniles typically resemble small fish like tetras or cyprinids.

Some however, like the Giant Gardenpipa (Phycogyrinus sessilis), have more unusual lifestyles: tadpoles incorporate chloroplasts into their tissues from the egg onwards, concentrating them until they either lose them to become small, short lived males or larger, long lived females that typically have to eat very little if at all thanks to the amount of stolen chloroplasts in their tissues.

Another unusual clade that can be found around the wetland, specifically in and around its other inhabitants, are the Lampidwins (Bdellogyrinidae), whose lifestyle is mostly parasitic, eating chunks of flesh or blood from fish and larger vertebrates, to living inside the gut of larger animals, feeding off their already digested nutrients, like the intestinal lampidwins (Enterorana sp.). The adults of these groups are by far the shortest lived, only lasting around a couple of weeks to a few days in some cases. They are able to co-ordinate their emergence to breed, which is why they can afford living so little before breeding.

Out on the open waters of the Pacific Ocean, a predator lurks in the depths. Staying just out of sight from prey near the surface, it stealthily swims right below them and strikes, maiming it in a series of devastating bites until it succumbs.

This menacing predator is the largest reptile in the Artechocene oceans, the Kailele (Thanatoramphus gigas), a large thalassochelonian in the selachocheliid family, a family of shark-like softshell turtles. Most of them are primarily small to medium sized predators of fish and marine invertebrates, but the genus

Pelagic Predators of the Artechocene (WIP)

Preparing a BIG piece for spectember, an infographic about the (non-tetrapod) macropredators that you can find in the open oceans of the Artechocene Earth, from gigantic sleeper sharks, intelligent pack-hunting squid, sword snouted gar to thick headed sunfish.

Hope you like how it's going and any questions are aprecciated :>

Close-ups:

I actually made this bunch of pride dinos last year, but I realised I never posted the finished version here, so here it is!!

I actually tried to incorporate some of the known coloration into the design if I could, which turned out to make for very interesting results, as you will see below:

Pride Flag: Caihong juji 🏳️‍🌈

The dinosaur that actually gave me the idea to incorporate the known colorations into the design. This dinosaur had iridescent feathers on its neck and chest of a variety of colours, so it probably had a sort of rainbow-like color scheme on those feathers (probably not that much like this one I depicted but similar), perfect for its flag!

Bisexual Flag: Microraptor gui 💗💜💙

Now for my personal favourite (partially not biased), and one of the ones that most closely resemble its actual irl coloration. The fossils preserve a full body, iridescent black coloration, similarly to crows. Normally these iridescent tones are blue, but they can range from purplish to even sort of magenta tones, which when combined correctly resembles its flag very well.

Lesbian Flag: Sinosauropteryx prima ❤️🧡🤍💗

Now for my second favourite and maybe the one that most closely resembles its flag irl. The fossil actually preserves red and orange tones with a white underbelly, and is also stripped like the flag! Pretty much the only thing I came up with was the magenta skin, which could very much be possible based on birds.

Trans Flag: Archaeopteryx lithograpica 🏳️‍⚧️

Now we start on the ones I had to stretch a bit to fit lol. For Archaeopteryx we only have ONE (1) black feather which we aren't sure of the position of, but it's probably from the wing, and given it was a coastal "bird", I gave it a seabird-like coloration. And the blue tuffs of feathers? Just some extra pizzazz to make it fit the flag.

Non-binary Flag: Jinfengopteryx elegans 🖤🤍💜💛

This one is closer than the previous one, as we know it had a spotted pattern on some points of the body, and probably some sort of lighter coloration on the tail feathers, so I went with yellow to, again, fit the flag.

Gay Men Flag: Confuciusornis sanctus 💚🤍💙

And again another vague one (can you tell I'm running out of things to say). We do know confuciusornis had some dark grey coloration around the chest and maybe some iridescence based on relatives, so it was good enough to fit this flag.

Pansexual Flag: Kulindadromeus zabaikalicus💖💛🩵

A really cool dinosaur (and I think the only one that is featured on an irl flag??) that preserves some stripped coloration on its leg filamentous feathers, which I combined with blue for the naked tail and legs of the animal to fit the flag colours.

Asexual Flag: Caudipteryx zoui 🖤🤍💜

Another one with only patterns preserved, this one is actually pretty cool, as it preserves a stripped pattern on a small fan-like tail that it probably used for display. Thanks to the asexual community for making their flag these colours so it fit very well with a lot of dinosaurs 🫶🏻

Intersex Flag: Yi qi 💛🟣

Okay, sorry to disappoint but this one doesn't actually have any evidence of coloration, BUT the one thing that's preserved about this one's really cool! Instead of feathers, it uses a leathery membrane to glide in between trees, like a dinosaur version of a flying squirrel.

Helloo it's my birthday! I usually don't draw humans at all but I feel like this was the perfect moment to draw my beautiful gorgeous wife Kaveh :>