Fiction: Rare Catch

As I pull up the line and sigh again. Another rare one! I always get the ones I have to put back in the water. Before I send it out though, I look at the others staring at my catch. They are obviously confused by the delicate and mystical creature. I am at first not really sure if I should explain everything I am seeing, but I can tell they are shocked. “This creature is very rare, we won’t be able to keep it, we should set it loose, but let us examine it quickly.” I look at the creature, no larger than a cat, but with unique features that remind me of a horse or a sea horse. It seems to be a cross of all sorts of animals. I point to it.

“The arms of the creature are covered in a translucent skin, but the pigment cells that give its color are chromatophores. That means the pigment cells can change shape and reveal or hide particular colors. It can color change. You can already see it altering its color. You can see its skin is different on the animals belly and chest. The epidermis of those areas are covered in scales similar to what you’d see in a fish. The guard hairs compose the mane of the animal.

“Horns like this in the water are unique.” I explain. “However the narwhal has a tooth that resembles a horn. Normally the left canine of the male's teeth breaks through the upper lip and can grow as long as 8.5 feet. We have recently discovered that narwhal tusks are very sensitive because they are unprotected by enamel like the teeth of most mammals. They have tiny little pores in them that help them sense where they are in the water. The horn of the narwhal is actually a tooth though, not a horn. Narwhals have very sensitive tusks that can sense chemical and temperature changes. ” Everyone looks a little confused. “I could explain what qualifies a horn if anyone cares to hear.” Tentatively, they all raise their hands, and I continue.

“A horn is a permanent structure that grows as the animal gets older. Originating from the keratinized epithelium, they grow from the frontal skull bones” I tap my fingers onto my head where a goat would have horns and I baaa in a fine charades “and when the epithelium turns into horn, it is called cornification. Think unicorn, I point to the creature.” I get a bit of a giggle from the crowd. “Antlers differ from horns in that they are not permanent and they are shed annually and the animal grows them back and rubs off the velvet, or skin and the antlers loose their blood supply.” I hold my hands up with fingers splayed like a deer. “This means that the animal then sheds them.” I let my hands drop and look down sadly like a depressed stag. “But they will grow back” I spread my fingers again, holding up my new finger antlers.

“The hind legs of the creature have unique hooves which makes it an ungulate, or hooved animal. This means that they have a wall, sole and pad. These hooves are covered in a fin which has skin stretched over it. Fingers have developed around the coronary band to hold the fin. The tail is streamlined and has a paddle at the end. The tail, fins and the arms with skin stretched over them seem to help it move quickly when it is in the water, but obviously, this creature is equipped to survive on land. You can see cilia on the eyelids, eyelashes, like we have, to help keep dust out of the eye.”

“The animal looks very healthy. There are no signs of abscesses, acne or other inflammation or infection. It has not been hurt, there is not even an abrasion, or a scratch. I am going to set it free so we have more.” And with that, I set the little creature into the water and watch it swim away.