Requested by @militarybrat-96, @beatleponine, @because-im-freaking-greed, @aodan712, and anonymously
Mareanie and Toxapex are fierce predators in Alolan oceans. They prey on coral reefs, have over ten legs, are covered in toxic spikes, their venom has brutal effects, and these pokémon are just terrifying in general. Perhaps they’re so terrifying because Mareanie and Toxpaex are very real in our world: they resemble a creature called the Crown-of-thorns starfish:
Crown-of-thorns sea stars are nicknamed “The Killer Starfish”. Just like Mareanie, these starfish feast on coral, and if their population gets out of control they can devour entire coral reefs, completely destroying those ecosystems. They have up to 21 arms covered in poisonous spikes, and are the second largest kind of sea star in the world.
How it eats the coral is quite terrifying if not efficient. The starfish’s mouth is on its underside, so it will climb onto the coral and form a protective, tight shield with its arms. Then, instead of eating food through the mouth and sending it to the stomach like we do, Crown-of-thorns starfish will send their entire stomachs inside-out through their mouths, digestive stomach acids and all, and dissolve the coral underneath their shield so they can directly absorb the coral’s nutrients. Then, it will swallow its stomach back inside its body, relax its shield, and then carry on its merry way. A single starfish will eat 6 square meters of coral per year.
Yes, these things are real.
With this in mind, it seems likely that the “bodies” of the Mareanie family that we see in their official art, might actually be part of Mareanie’s internal organs. Usually kept inside of the starfish body, but brought out when it is time to form a dome and eat. Unless you peek under them when that’s happening, you may never see Mareanie as it is depicted in its art.
Toxapex’s pokédex entry, on the other hand describes the effects of its poisonous spines. Which, coincidentally, also matches the Crown-of-Thorns starfish. When pricked by a spine, a type of poison called a saponins will enter the wound. Saponins will cause immediate pain, and rip apart red blood cells which helps the pain last several hours. The other effects: including nausea and swelling, lasts for a week or more after the pain stops.
It has the spines, of course, as a defense mechanism. As we described, when the starfish are feeding they are literally barfing up their internal organs: they are insanely vulnerable underneath their dome. So, the dome has to be as tough and as scary as possible to ward off potential predators. Toxic spikes seems to do the trick.
Oh, and like most starfish they are quite good at regeneration, able to regrow amputated limbs within weeks.
Mareanie and Toxapex are based on Crown-of-thorns sea stars, predators which destroy coral reefs by expelling their stomachs through their mouths. Their toxic spines contain pain-inducing saponins to protect themselves while they are feeding.
amandla
turnnoffyourmind
romaincrisis
s-u-f-j-a-n-s-t-e-v-e-n-s
