#mareinian

Baby Mareinians. They learn to swim only a few months after hatching, but it takes them 2-3 years to be able to walk upright.

Some color/marking notes. This applies to both northern and southern Mareinians with some probability differences between the two species. For example, southern Mareinians are more likely to have saturated skin colors and green eyes. The only color trait that is exclusive to one species is the rare striped mutation, which only shows up in northern gene pools.

I don't remember if I mentioned this before, but unlike the Stasti language, the translation of Mareinian names to English isn't standardized. Usually, Mareinians will get their Roman alphabet spelling picked by humans when their names get written down. Some Mareinians, like Kirin, translate their last name into English, but this is rare.

Since the two species are so closely related, they share very similar features, but they evolved in different climates. The Southern Mareinian is adapted to cold, rocky waters. As a result, it has more fat and muscle mass. The Northern Mareinian, on the other hand, is adapted to warm, shallow forests. Its adaptations include external ears for heat regulation and longer claws to help nagivate the forests. The lumps at the end of a Northern Mareinian's tail are vestigial remains of defensive spikes.

Mareinia has two sapient life-forms: the Northern and Southern Mareinians, two closely related species of shallow-water ambush predators. Although a Mareinian's swimming ability is rather poor compared to other creatures that call this planet home, its powerful legs and arms allow it to grab prey from underneath in the blink of an eye. The two species have nearly identical social patterns and have formed and integrated planet-wide civilization together.