Sandspear

-| Feature | Details |+| Property | Details | | :--- | :--- | | **Scientific Name** | *Psalidoprosopon kryptokonton* ("scissor-faced hidden spear") | | **Category** | Predator | | **Attitude** | Aggressive | | **Type** | Mobile | | **Biome** | Overgrown Ruins, Plateaus, Shallows, Necrolei Hills | | **Biomod** | Bioluminescence |+| **Scan Tool** | Bioscanner |  -![Adult](Sandspear render.png)-![Juvenile](Sandspear juvenile render.png)+![Adult Sandspear](Sandspear render.png)+![Juvenile Sandspear](Sandspear juvenile render.png)  -The **Sandspear** is a small, aggressive ambush hunting lifeform found in various shallow and mid-depth biomes. It is known for burying itself in the sand and using a lure to attract prey before striking with devastating speed.+The **Sandspear** is a small, aggressive ambush hunting lifeform found in Subnautica 2.   ## Appearance  -The Sandspear exists in two stages: juvenile and adult. While similar, they have noticeable anatomical differences.+The Sandspear can be found as a juvenile or adult. While similar in appearance, they have noticeable anatomical differences.  -*   **Body:** Light purple conical body tapering towards the tail, which has fins on either side resembling arrow fletching.-*   **Legs:** Three pairs of legs located around two-thirds up the body. In juveniles, these are mere spines with only black claws visible. In adults, they are full, segmented grey limbs ending in black claws.-*   **Armor:** The dorsal side is protected by pale grey shell plates. Juveniles have four plates, while adults have eight interlocking plates. The foremost plate is a head shield with a large medial eye and two pairs of lateral eyes behind the mouth.-*   **Eyes:** Black with yellow irises and slit-shaped pupils.+*   **Body:** Light purple conical body tapering towards the tail, which has a fin on either side, resembling fletching on an arrow.+*   **Legs:** Three pairs of legs located around two-thirds up the body. In juveniles, these are little more than spines with only the black claw visible. In adults, they are full, segmented grey limbs terminating in black claws.+*   **Armor:** The dorsal side is protected by pale grey shell plates. Juveniles have four dorsal plates, while adults have eight interlocking plates.+*   **Head:** The foremost dorsal plate is a head shield with a large medial eye and two small pairs of lateral eyes behind the mouth. The eyes are black with yellow irises and slit-shaped pupils. *   **Mouth:** Features eighteen oral appendages:     1.  **Outermost (6):** Large, curved, serrated grasping appendages acting like a beartrap.     2.  **Ventral (6):** Smaller appendages forming a basket structure beneath the main graspers.     3.  **Innermost (6):** Small, recurved limbs with medial serrations used for shearing flesh.-*   **Lure:** A long, pale blue proboscis extends from the mouth, resembling a plant or anchored lifeform, used to lure prey when buried.+*   **Lure:** A long, pale blue proboscis extends from the mouth. When buried, the Sandspear holds this above the surface as a lure.   ## Behavior  -Sandspears are hostile ambush predators. They are commonly seen drifting slowly near the seabed or cave floors. When threatened or hunting, they burrow into the ground, exposing only their teeth and bioluminescent lure.+Sandspears are commonly seen drifting slowly at the bottom of caves or the seabed. They are hostile and will attack players when approached, triggering a predator-style cutscene.  -*   **Ambush:** They wait for prey to pass above their jaws before striking.-*   **Defense:** If exposed by light, a burrowed Sandspear will get startled and swim away a short distance.-*   **Attack:** Approaching a Sandspear triggers a hostile response and a cutscene similar to larger predators.-*   **Growbed Interaction:** Scanning a growbed yields a PDA message suggesting players "consider growing juvenile sandspears for home defense," though this is not currently possible in-game.+*   **Ambush:** They burrow into the ground, exposing only their teeth and a plant-like lure to wait for prey.+*   **Reaction to Light:** A burrowed Sandspear will get startled by light and swim away a short distance.+*   **Growbed Interaction:** Scanning a growbed near a Sandspear triggers a PDA message suggesting players "consider growing juvenile sandspears for home defense," though this is not currently possible in-game.   ## Databank Entry   > **Psalidoprosopon kryptokonton**, the scissor-faced hidden spear. A lurking ambush predator with a devastating spring-loaded bite. > > **1. Strandulate** > A crustacean-like organism with a segmented body and hard exoskeleton. Lacks the spinal nerve braid seen in this world's fish, but retains a nerve strand. The tail appears smooth and unarmored due to thickening of the intersegmental membrane. The sandspear's forward body is almost all jaw. > > **2. Ambush predator** > The sandspear burrows into soft sand and sediment, then waits for prey to pass above its jaws before striking. If its position is exposed, it will flee. > > **3. High tension jaw** > Hunting sandspears hold their glass-edged jaws under tension with a biological pulley system. Closure velocity exceeds 20 meters per second, penetrating plasticized armor and shearing through soft tissue. > > **Assessment:** Be alert for sandspears lurking in the seafloor. Use light to expose and drive away.   ### Developer Remarks  -*   **Remark A (Nahema Nakota):** "Go to hell. Nothing needs to bite this hard. You wouldn't know it from the way they go after Tadpoles, but older specimens are actually pulling their bites. Maybe the hard-biting sandspears all break their jaws and die young?"+*   **Remark A (Nahema Nakota):** "Nothing needs to bite this hard. You wouldn't know it from the way they go after Tadpoles, but older specimens are actually pulling their bites. Maybe the hard-biting sandspears all break their jaws and die young?" *   **Remark B (Zygimantis "Mantis" Tarvydas):** "Is there a point to adding remarks? When Zip got reset NoA wiped her databank too." *   **Remark C (Nahema):** "Don't comply in advance, old timer. The more work NoA has to do to reset us, the happier I am."   ## Gallery   ### In Game  -![A Sandspear dug into the ground as bait.](Sandspear Bait.png)-![Bioluminescence at night.](Sandspear hidden.png)-![Side view of the Sandspear.](Sandspear side.png)-![Front view of the Sandspear.](Sandspear front.png)-![Top view of the Sandspear.](Sandspear top.png)+![A Sandspear dug into the ground as bait](Sandspear Bait.png)+![Bioluminescence at night](Sandspear hidden.png)+![Side view of the Sandspear](Sandspear side.png)+![Front view of the Sandspear](Sandspear front.png)+![Top view of the Sandspear](Sandspear top.png)   ### Development  -![The Sandspear's initial concept art created for Subnautica: Below Zero.](SandSpearBZ.webp)+![The Sandspear's initial concept art created for Subnautica: Below Zero](SandSpearBZ.webp)   ### Other  -![Comparison between a juvenile and an adult Sandspear.](Sandspearsizecompare.png)+![Comparison between a juvenile and an adult Sandspear](Sandspearsizecompare.png)   ## Trivia   *   The Sandspear was initially proposed as a creature design for *Subnautica: Below Zero*. *   The *Subnautica 2* iteration was first shown in the Early Access Cinematic Trailer.-*   Its behavior and appearance resemble antlion larvae.+*   The Sandspear resembles and shares behaviors with antlion larvae. *   The genus name "Psalidoprosopon" was suggested by a fan on the official Discord server.