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The Strait of Scotos is host to species that are ironically light in coloration.

One of these is the Pale-faced Pufferfish (Ochrocephalus Vrachnis). When this normally uniformly brown pufferfish puffs up, the coloration drains from most of its face save for the scales near the eyes, which quickly darken. This is believed to be a deterrent to would-be predators to compensate for the Pale-faced's poison being less lethal than the toxins found in other pufferfish.

Unlike most of its kind which possess a potent neurotoxin, the Pale-faced Pufferfish's poison is a deliriant. Those who make direct contact with its skin or liver are regularly reported displaying a heightened sense of paranoia and often complain of suffering from nightmares if attempting to sleep within 24 hours of contact. This, combined with their taste being regarded as inferior to that of other pufferfish, has led to the Pale-faced Pufferfish being passed up as a possible delicacy by those who regularly fish in the Strait of Scotos.

Superstitions have arisen around the Pale-faced Pufferfish, with many who fish in the Strait of Scotos being highly fearful of it and taking proactive measures to prevent contamination. A common practice is to dump the contents of any net or trap that has a Pale-faced in its haul and to take the net or trap aboard below deck to be cleaned by whoever handled it. Said fishers who handled a net or trap suspected to be contaminated are typically quarantined with the aforementioned device for a full day at minimum.

The V-tail Orca (Orcinus Leucos), also found in the Strait of Scotos, is the only known natural predator of the Pale-faced Pufferfish. They are willing to eat other fish found within the Strait, but it is generally recognized that the local pufferfish is their primary food source. It is currently unknown if their mass makes the deliriant poison ineffective, there are adaptations in their digestive tracts to negate the poison, or if they're simply not bothered by it in some other way.

As indicated by its name, a visual distinction V-tail Orca has compared to other orcas is its tail fin, which has a longer and narrower split. There is no known functional benefit to this adaptation, thus it is believed to have a social function. This theory is supported by "Orca Observers" from /who/ consistently writing in reports that the species breaches the water's surface with its tail as a greeting to others.

Another recognizable visual difference between V-tail Orcas and other species is the greater rate of leucism. Those who have spotted pods of V-tails have often noted one member with light gray coloration. Of note is that though V-tails are observed to be overall somewhat smaller than other orcas, leucistic (known by some as "graybacks") V-tail Orcas are of the same size as a typical orca, leading to the popular theory that these individuals are hierarchically valued by the pod and become said pod's matriarch. This has led to ongoing debate and speculation among researchers: Can males not develop leucism? Is V-tail leucism developed over time, or are pups born with it? If a pod comes to have two graybacks, how is the matriarch determined?

Regardless of what these answers may be (and indeed whether the matriarch theory itself is true), one thing commonly recognized about the V-tail Orca is its intelligence. V-tails are known to follow fishing crews in the Strait in anticipation that their haul gets dumped, providing free food. Because of this, a common superstition held by fishers is to avoid casting nets in waters where local orcas are observed to swim out of fear of catching a Pale-faced Pufferfish. They have also, on multiple occasions, rescued those who have fallen overboard by swimming beneath them and then surfacing, saving the sailors from drowning while the crew brings them back aboard.

In spite of this, it is advised to avoid entering waters with V-tail Orcas, as they have an unfortunate tendency to breach the water's surface just beneath any voluntary swimmer and carry him or her off, never to be seen again. Though this practice is discouraged for obvious reasons, it is not unheard of for aging fishers or sailors to take off on a one-way rowboat voyage to "join the pod".

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Pub: 15 Sep 2025 05:54 UTC

Edit: 16 Sep 2025 06:34 UTC

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