CLAWFISH - TIMELINE #23980
Added 2022-01-25 16:28:05 +0000 UTC(Timeline Tuesday #26)
Clawfish are an aquatic species that defy the typical animal classes of this timeline, resting somewhere between a crustacean and a fish while displaying features of both. The head and body of a clawfish is similar to a that of a freshwater trout, covered in greenish scales with large eyes on either side of the creature. The legs of the clawfish, however, are sharp and pointy like that of a crab. They line the body, four on each side, then ending with a set of hard, sturdy claws.
This is where the clawfish derives its name. Clawfishes feature two front claws, one of them much larger than the other. The larger claw is so enormous that it compares in size to the total sum of the rest of this animal’s body.
While the claw of a clawfish is notoriously dangerous, offering incredible amounts of pressure compared to the size of the animal, it does not serve much of a purpose and has ultimately become a hinderance for the species. This large appendage may serve well to open cans or grip branches, but the size makes it too difficult to attack prey with. In addition, the clawfish is a herbivore, rendering their massive claws even more useless.
Many use the clawfish as an example of ‘be careful what you wish for”, the evolution of an even bigger, even more bad-ass claw eventually backfiring on the entire species.
Clawfish are common in the wild, but difficult to spot now that the social perception of them has shifted over time. Most clawfish spend their days hiding under giant rocks, embarrassed by their massive claws that were once seen as threatening and are now something of a joke.
