Epicurean


The Epicurean is a lifeform found within the Karakorum Metal Farms, often patrolling bacteria-rich industrial runoff pools.

Appearance

Epicureans are distinguished by their stocky, oval-shaped body plan that tapers from a large anterior maw into a short, blunted tail. While their overall body plan is most homologous to the hammerhead, the Epicurean has notably lost both the posterior jet channel and anterior face plating over the course of evolution.

Epicurean fin morphology is unique relative to other identified fishes on Proteus, featuring four radially-distributed and symmetric pectoral fins posterior of the mouth, with a thin caudal fin that runs dorsally along the short tail (unlikely to confer significant mobility benefits).

The abnormally large mouth features four distinct rows of thin, pointed, backwards-oriented teeth used to tear and rip apart tough foods and prevent prey from exiting the maw post-consumption. The flesh of both the inner mouth and tongue is colored purple. Eye morphology is distantly homologous to that of the hammerhead, featuring two lateral eyes and a central pineal eye, all of identical size and development.

The dorsal half of the body is colored dark gray-purple, featuring irregular black-speckled patterning contrasted by an unpatterned white ventral underbelly and white fins. Individual Epicureans within the Karakorum Metal Farms may differ in the degree of stomach bloating as a consequence of Tongue Thief parasitism.

Behaviour

The Epicurean is a relatively slow, yet unpredictable omnivorous ocean floor dweller. While often found aimlessly roaming the Karakorum Metal Farms and nearby loci, it poses a significant threat to pioneers, especially if the organism is parasitized by the Tongue Thief.

While Epicureans often ingest local industrial runoff pool-dwelling Tongue Thieves to satisfy their immense hunger, such ingestion renders them susceptible to parasitism. Tongue Thieves may evade digestion and instead latch firmly onto Epicurean tongues, secreting a potent satiety (fullness)-blocking chemical. This blocker further augments the exceptional appetite of the Epicurean, increasing their basal aggression towards pioneers.

Despite relentless parasitism-induced consumption providing consistent nutrition for the resident Tongue Thief, this is often detrimental to the host Epicurean. Poorly regulated ingestion culminates in progressive severe stomach bloating, making parasitized Epicureans readily distinguishable from non-parasitized counterparts.

While host Epicureans can be colonized by Tongue Thieves indefinitely, Tongue Thieves can be expelled from host Epicureans by the player in-game using the Sonic Resonator or its upgrade, the Feedback Resonator. Note that thieves cannot be expelled with the Survival Multitool.

Databank Entry

Postpanoplia epicurean, the voracious unarmored armored fish. Unpredictable and hungry, especially when under the influence of a parasite.

1. Sea hippo The Epicurean is a true omnivore, consuming dozens of kilograms of animals, microorganisms, minerals, and corals every day. Digesting this diet is expensive, fueling the Epicurean's hunger. By devouring and defecating, the Epicurean spreads nutrients and fine-ground sand, making it a keystone species in its ecosystem.

2. Lobe-finned enormity The Epicurean is a younger relative of the hammerhead, but it has lost its armored shield, allowing it to open its huge grinding jaw. Both the central pineal eye and the lateral eyes are fully developed. These changes suggest the Epicurean no longer competes in tournaments for territory and mates.

3. Hunger The hungrier the Epicurean, the more likely it is to attack a pioneer.

4. Parasite The Epicurean often swallows parasites with its food, which take root in its mouth, blocking nerve pathways which signal fullness to the Epicurean's brain. Infested Epicureans believe they are starving and attack with ravenous hunger. Explore methods to expel the parasite, and try to avoid becoming an unsatisfying meal.

Assessment: ecologically vital but an unpredictable danger to divers. Check for and (if possible) expel mouth parasites.

Strategy

• While Epicureans will aggressively pursue the player if they are outside a vehicle, they will not pursue or damage vehicles actively piloted by the player.
• Epicureans parasitized by Tongue Thieves are more aggressive than regular Epicureans and will always target the player.
• A Tongue Thief can be knocked off an Epicurean using a Sonic Resonator or Feedback Resonator, decreasing its aggressiveness.

Gallery

In Game


Trivia

• The Epicurean bears significant design and habitat similarity to Earth's Atlantic goliath grouper, Epinephelus itajara. Adult Atlantic goliath groupers are known to inhabit rocky reefs, artificial reefs, and industrial zones such as oil platforms — similar to Epicurean colonization of the industrial Karakorum Metal Farms.
• The Epicurean's bloated appearance bears a strong resemblance to a real deep-sea creature known as the Black Seadevil.