Daghadasi

Daghadasi
Base Information
Classification	Herbivore/filter
Terrain	{{{terrain}}}
Locomotion	Swimmer
Size	Very Colossal
Speed	Extra slow
Strength	Strong
Social Structure	Large pack
Weapons	None
Armor	{{{armor}}}
Body Structure
Symmetry	Bilateral
Head/Torso	Head with brain/sensors
Limbs & Manipulators	3 groups, flippers with tentacles, and two sets of flippers
Tail	None
Skeleton	Bony interior
Internal Fluids	Gore
Skin	Skin
Natural Weapons	None
Body Shape
Size	Very Colossal
Stance	Horizontal
Length/Height	7500m
Body Profile	Thin
Weight	2300 megatons
Details
Edibility	No
Training Difficulty	No
Source
Homeworld	Bellerophon (Solomani Rim 1519)
Multi-world	No
Canon	Yes
Reference	Adventure 9: Nomads of the World Ocean

Huge sea-dwelling beast (megafauna) originating from Bellerophon ( Esperance / Solomani Rim 1519).

• Native to Bellerophon (Solomani Rim 1519), Daghadasi, named from an ancient Turkish word-combination meaning "mountain-island", the Daghasasi is a gigantic beast that really does resemble a free-floating island, complete with its own local flora and fauna.
• The largest specimens, the so-called "Great Daghadasi" or Daghadadedes, frequently exceed two kilometers in length; some unverified reports have claimed sightings of behemoths ten kilometers long.

Physiology & Ecology

Most Daghadasi are members of loosely knit herds, generally including at least one Daghadadede and several dozen smaller individuals.

Bellerophon Climate

Bellerophon is a water world; except for a few islands and for reef-flats exposed only at low tide, the entire surface is covered by water.

The planet has a pleasant climate, ranging from tropical at the equator to cool at the poles, but the vast ocean serves to moderate climatic extremes. There are periodic seasonal Coriolis storms -- called yaz yugiyor locally -- which can grow to awesome dimensions as they cross thousands of kilometers of unbroken sea, but these are dangerous only to small boats and aircraft which venture too far from inhabited regions, into places where weather satellite predictions are not available.

Bellerophon Moon

Bellerophon's single, large and close moon, known as Anteia, causes daily high tides of between twenty and thirty meters.

Life Cycle & Reproduction

Daghadasi go through at least five known life stages.

Daghadasi Life Cycle Table

Daghadasi (Creature) Life Cycle Table

Stage	Name	Nickname	Age	Mobility	Primary Trophic Role	Secondary T-Role	Tertiary T-Role	Quaternary T-Role
Stage 1	Bud	Tadpole	Infant (Baby)	Sessile (Both)	Ergivore/Parasite	Autotroph/phototroph	None	None
Stage 2	Daghshark	Yavru ("Young")	Child (Juvenile)	Motile	Omnivore/hunter	Scavenger/carrion-eater	Autotroph/phototroph	None
Stage 3	Adadlu ("Island-Son")	Ogul ("Son")	Young Adult (Adolescent)	Motile	Omnivore/filter	Scavenger/carrion-eater	Ergivore/parasite	Autotroph/phototroph
Stage 4	Adababasi ("Island-Father")	Island-Father	Adult (Reproductive Prime)	Motile	Omnivore/filter & Herbivore/grazer	Scavenger/carrion-eater	Ergivore/parasite	Autotroph/phototroph
Stage 5	Daghadadede ("Grandfather")	Grandfather	Senescent Adult (Elder)	Motile	Omnivore/filter & Herbivore/grazer	Scavenger/carrion-eater	Ergivore/parasite	Autotroph/phototroph

Daghadasi Life Stage 1. Bud (Infant or Baby) ("Tadpole")

The lifecycle of the daghadasi has attracted a great deal of scientific interest. Daghadasi young grow as "buds": parasitic growths on the walls of sheltered caverns in the parent's side below the waterline. When the buds reach a length of 2-3 meters, they break free and join a community of free-swimming young which inhabit the waters close to the sheltering bulks of herd members.

Daghadasi Life Stage 2. Daghshark (Juvenile or Child) or Yavru ("Young")

A bewildering variety of lifeforms live and hunt along the flanks and ventral surfaces of the oldest Dahadasi, and nearly all of these fall prey to the rapid strikes and shredding jaws of the juveniles -- known as Yavru ("young") or Daghsharks. These Daghsharks eat and grow constantly. Very few survive to become adults since Daghsharks eat each other as well as more defenseless prey, but a Daghshark which survives its early life can reach a length of 15 or 20 meters and weigh up to 60 tons.

Daghadasi Life Stage 3. Adadlu (Adolescent or Young Adult) ("Island-Son") or Ogul ("Son")

At this phase of its life, the daghshark begins a gradual metamorphosis. It becomes less aggressive, seeking out swarms of Skreekers by drifting or swimming along and inhaling through a circular anterior maw. Daghadasi herds control the population of small, shrimp-like creatures known as Skreekers. These, in turn, live off the vast surface plant formation called Greenmats -- the only photosynthetic life on Bellerophon. Within a few years, the skin becomes thicker, tougher, and more convoluted; the creature grows in breadth and, somewhat more slowly, in length, becoming less streamlined. It is now known as an Adadlu ("Island-son") or Ogul ("son").

Daghadasi Life Stage 4. Adababasi (Adult) ("Island-Father")

Oguls continue to grow slowly for many years, eventually growing to a length of over 200 meters. For some reason yet unknown, they eventually enter a new phase of their life cycle. Growth is suspended and budding begins. This reproductive phase may last up to a century, and during this time the creatures are known as Adababasi ("Island-fathers").

Daghadasi Life Stage 5. Daghadadede (Senescent Adult or Elder) ("Grandfather")

Finally, again for reasons unknown, the reproductive phase ends and the animal begins to grow once again. The post-reproductive phase is even less mobile than its predecessors and tends to drift with currents from one mass of Greenmat to another. It is at this point, when the Daghadasi have reaches sizes of more than a kilometer in length, they they become known as Daghadadedes ("Grandfathers"). The lower surfaces of Daghadadedes provide the same ecological niches provided by coral reefs and similar formations in the oceans of other worlds; the creatures' flanks and ventral surfaces are wrinkled and convoluted, forming canyons, chasms, caves, folds, and hiding places for a dazzling array of marine lifeforms. It is these lifeforms that form the main food supply for the Daghsharks. This is the basis for the herd structure: the many Ddabadasi produce the young and the single Daghadadede provides them with food.

Diet & Trophics

Daghadasi live in a symbiotic relationship with the life forms for which the body of the Daghadasi forms an environment.

Daghadasi not only possess limited autotrophic means of nutrition capable of photosynthesis, but also put tap roots into the plant life the Daghadasi body nurtures. Daghadasi also serve a detrivore (scavenger) role, absorbing the dead organic materials of no-longer-live members of its personal ecosystem. Additionally, Daghadasi directly consume some of the vegetation through tentacles which feed various "mouth" orifices near each of the Daghadasi's three groups of tentacles flippers. the non-tentacle flippers are exclusively used for locomotion while the tentacle flippers serve both manipulatory and locomotive functions.

So, to sum up the Daghadasi's many nutritional sources and trophic roles:

• Autotroph (Phototroph) through the Daghadasi's photosynthetic skin.
• Ergivore (Parasite) through tap roots put into the flora dwelling upon the Daghadasi's body.
• Herbivore (Intermittent Grazer) through the Daghadasi's tentacles which collect the flora and small fauna it passes over.
• Omnivore (Hunter) while in Daghshark form.
• Scavenger (Carrion-eater) through the Daghadasi's tentacles which gather the carrion it passes over.

Please see Animal classification for more information.

History & Background (Dossier)

The following organisms form strongly interconnected and often dependent parts of the Daghadasi's ecosystem:

Chimearoc (Creature) Mutualistic Ally Symbiont

Another environment for life is the Daghadasi's back. A number of plants descended from free-floating species have taken root in the outer dermal areas, and several species of flying creatures, evolved from aquatic ancestors, nest there. Most notable is the fierce Chimearoc, which has a 4-meter wingspan, snake-like neck, crocodilian snout, and needle sharp teeth; it is well adapted for skimming along the surface to strike at small sea creatures just under the surface.

The Chimearocs are not offered a free ride:

• They are pressed into service as genetic messengers. Adababasi periodically secrete a protein-rich liquid in small "caves" on their backs. Chimearocs gather this liquid to feed their young; while they feed, Daghadasi reproductive cells attach themselves to the Chimearocs' legs, seeking transport to other Daghadasi. Because the caves secrete small amounts of liquid at different times, the Chimearocs must keep moving around the herd, thus insuring the transfer of reproductive cells.

Please see Chimearoc for more information.

Greenmat (Creature) Prey Food

The only dedicated photosynthetic (autotrophic) life on Bellerophon. Greenmats are gigantic communal organism composed of potentially hundreds or even thousands of different kinds of flora (...and fauna) connected to each other by intertwined roots, parasitic tap roots, and many other connections. They form rich and dense ecosystems with many similarities to the coral reefs of Terra. The Greenmats are a vital part of the of the Daghadasi food chain, which helps to maintain the O2-CO2 atmosphere of the planet.

Please see Greenmat for more information.

Skreeker (Creature) Prey Food

Small, shrimp-like creatures that perform a role similar to Terran Plankton and Algae. Skreekers are a vital part of the of the Daghadasi food chain, which helps to maintain the O2-CO2 atmosphere of the planet.

Please see Skreeker for more information.

Yilan (Creature) Prey Food

A poisonous eel-like creature that lives in the "reefs" lining the underwater side of a Daghadasi's body.

Please see Yilan for more information.

Travellers' Aid Society Advisory

Daghadasi in their early life stages as Daghsharks can be very dangerous to humanoid-sized sophonts so it is advised to take extensive precautions around them. The later life stages of Daghadasi in their "island" forms are much less dangerous although it is advised to take caution around a Daghadasi's feeding tentacles and maws.

• However, the greatest danger from being around a Daghadasi comes from the many attendant lifeforms on the Daghadasi's personal ecosystem. Creatures such as Chimearocs or Yilani can be quite dangerous and will often attack humanoid-sized sophonts so a high level of awareness and caution is advised.

References & Contributors (Sources)

This list of sources was used by the Traveller Wiki Editorial Team and individual contributors to compose this article. Copyrighted material is used under license from Far Future Enterprises or by permission of the author. The page history lists all of the contributions.

• Classic Traveller Adventure 9: Nomads of the World Ocean
• T5: Core rules (pg. 590)
• External Link: Traveller Library Data