Othloto

The Othloto are a species of meta-cognisant lifeforms that live in swamp-like biomes around the mid-latitudes of Viz. They are primarily herbivorous, but opportunistically eat shellfish in coastal areas. Their meta-cognisance results from a dependence on tilliform slime, which only grows in the swamps.

This species has been extensively studied since its discovery, but little progress has been made on outstanding questions. This is mostly due to them being confined to Viz; removing them from the planet rapidly leads to cognitive regression.

At birth, individuals possess cognitive abilities typical of a neonate of an intelligent species - not processing the world at a high level. Once an individual passes from infancy to adulthood, exposure to tilliform slime temporarily allows for self-awareness and unlocks the capacity for higher thought. After exposure to the slime, the cognitive abilities of an adult will plateau at their maximum for approximately 0.6 vizzian days, with a sharp decline occurring soon after, if exposure is not repeated. othloto are highly dependent on their social structures and environment; a lone individual unsupported by their familiars is at a high risk of regression. Primarily as a result of this co-dependence between individuals, othian social structures form an important aspect of their behaviour.

The population of wild othloto is small. Estimates from surveys put the total population between 9000 and 21000 individuals. It is thought that all Othloto live within a group known as the primary population. It is unlikely that any highly-cognisant individuals exist outside the primary population; any that survive outside will most certainly be in a regressed state.

Terminology
The word othloto comes from the Vizzian words ottlo (meaning "rested") and tau (meaning "below"). This etymology has influenced a number of the origin-theories for this species. The female members of the species are called atrixi and the male members are called telixi. The plural and singular forms for othloto are the same. Young othloto are called kelixi. The adjective form of othloto is othian (e.g. "an othian diet").

Description
The young and young-adult members of the species are characterised by their long and curving frames. They have an almost-circular cross section, with a median diameter of 0.2 metres. The mean atrixi adult is 1.05 metres long, with the mean telixi adult being slightly shorter at 0.93 metres long. Adult othloto have eight short appendages that primarily function as legs. Their central column contains their primary organs.

Othloto do not have many internal hard-structures, with their form getting most of its support from hard and strong scales called tala. Tala externally cover 80% of the body surface area, and serve primarily to protect vital organs and give structure. Their undersides are not protected by tala, and instead are covered only by thin scales.

Atrixi and telixi cannot be distinguished externally.

Life cycle
It is not known how Othloto reproduce. However, current theories describe a mammalian-typical process of senescence.

Younger othloto (kelixi) are cared for by the community, with available adults generally dedicating equal amounts of labour to rearing their young. Kelixi do not maintain special attachments to any particular adults in the same way a human child would to their parents. However, they still form social bonds with adults and other young.

Kelixi reach maturity at 136.2 ± 2.3 vizzian days of age. The change usually occurs overnight, while the kelixi is sleeping.

As othloto age, their tala become brittle and lose their iridescent sheen, turning pale and eventually flaking off. This leaves elderly members vulnerable, and are as such protected by their social group. Despite this, senescence does not lead to physical weakness or vulnerability. Contrary to most organisms, the othian ageing process leads to greater capacities for physical performance. This increase in performance increases risk of injury through exertion. Surveys have shown that the most common form of death is internal haemorrhage, through over-exertion.

Habitat and Feeding
Residing within the mid-northern latitudes of Viz (in the regions where tilliform slime is present) means that the range of othloto is limited. Individual members typically do not travel far during their lifetime.

Typically, othloto are herbivorous. Especially during times of strife, othloto opportunistically feed on crustaceans.

Origin
Having no known evolutionary ancestors; othloto are genetically dissimilar to all known species on Viz. As a result, there are a number of controversial theories for how the species originated. None of the following theories are widely accepted, but they are listed in order of decreasing popularity.

Layan bio-engineering
Viz is infamous due to the presence of the Layan Monkhood, which has been rumoured to invest in bio-engineering research to make up for its small population. Some scholars have postulated that othloto are the remains of a failed bio-engineering project by the monkhood. Under this theory, the othloto were created as an efficient source of labour for the monkhood, but they did not meet performance expectations and were thus not put to use. Instead, they were released into the wild with the hope of bolstering the existing ecosystem on Viz. They could then have been harvested by the monkhood for resources such as food, or serve research purposes.

It is unlikely that high cognition was observed in othloto before their release, because tilliform slime was not observed on the surface of Viz until after their appearance outside The Shelter. As such, their higher cognitive state was not anticipated by the Layan Monkhood, but they have been avoided culling because of research interests.

Sociology
All known othloto reside within the primary population.

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