Nightcrawlers - Erectomeretrix
Class: Bivalvia
Order: Veneroida
Family: Mactridae
Almost alien in appearance, these incredibly bizarre mollusks have only recently been witnessed by modern humans due to urban expansion into their North American swamp habitat, though have apparantly been known by Native American cultures for centuries, which assumed that they were spirits. In reality, they are bivalves that are closely related to clams, and that have evolved to use what were once siphons for pulling in water or food as powerful and muscular limbs for land movement.
They need to remain hydrated or else they will die, but are capable of moving through shallow water areas and boggy terrain, feeding on small insects that are snatched using toothed openings at the ends of their feet. They use their oddly-adapted limbs to escape from potential predators and survive better in environments that are not permenantly submerged in water. Mobility has proved to be a helpful adaptation for bivalves, despite allowing them to be more commonly hunted by humans and some large fish.
The Nightcrawlers (Erectomeretrix Fresno) have become deeply engrained into the culture and urban legends of the Fresno region of North America, where they were first sighted in a strange video that was published on the Internet.
Nightcrawler credits: http://www.geocities.co.jp/NatureLand/5218/arukihamaguri.html
