Conodonta
One of the greatest difference between our two timelines is the presence of an entire class of vertebrates in the Different World that went extinct in our world during the T-J extinction.
Small and eel-like, the closest comparison for human sensibilities would be a small, large eyed hagfish with an armoured head. There are only a few species in existence, all living in the Indian Ocean. Most are plankton feeders or detritivores, though one species is a hunter of small fish and marine invertebrates.
All conodonts exhibit bioluminescence as a predation aid, attracting zooplankton, as well as serving in mating purposes.
Calasp (Leipsanovenator indicus)
The largest species of Conodont, the Calasp is the only predator in its class. Characterised by its boomerang shaped head armour and strange light reddish bioluminescence, a colour normally lost in the ocean depths, the Calasp hunts small fish, other conodonts and invertebrates, crushing them in powerful jaws. Its laterally placed eyes cause it to hunt in a manner similar to a Hammerhead shark of our timeline, waving its head from side to side to find prey. They also appear to have other powerful senses to help them in the darkness. Reaching a maximum of 120 centimetres in length, Calasps are some of the largest creatures found in the benthic zone of the Indian Ocean.
Small and eel-like, the closest comparison for human sensibilities would be a small, large eyed hagfish with an armoured head. There are only a few species in existence, all living in the Indian Ocean. Most are plankton feeders or detritivores, though one species is a hunter of small fish and marine invertebrates.
All conodonts exhibit bioluminescence as a predation aid, attracting zooplankton, as well as serving in mating purposes.
Calasp (Leipsanovenator indicus)
The largest species of Conodont, the Calasp is the only predator in its class. Characterised by its boomerang shaped head armour and strange light reddish bioluminescence, a colour normally lost in the ocean depths, the Calasp hunts small fish, other conodonts and invertebrates, crushing them in powerful jaws. Its laterally placed eyes cause it to hunt in a manner similar to a Hammerhead shark of our timeline, waving its head from side to side to find prey. They also appear to have other powerful senses to help them in the darkness. Reaching a maximum of 120 centimetres in length, Calasps are some of the largest creatures found in the benthic zone of the Indian Ocean.