FANTASTICAL CREATURES - SKOLLCRABB (with influences and lore)

In this post, I'm going to be going over my chosen creature design, which I have dubbed the Skollcrabb. I'll also go over it's fictional lore & backstory, as well as what inspired the creature from reality and fiction.

BIOGRAPHY

Species name: Skollcrabb
Subphylum: Crustacean
Average life expectancy: 150-200 years
Habitat: Deep ocean trenches
Diet: Herbivore (eats mostly seaweed)
Characteristics: Purple exoskeleton with black legs & "cuffs", naturally formed shell resembling a human skull
Gender differences: Males have round heads and consistently shaped shell teeth, females have pointed heads with larger shell fangs
Life-cycle: Start as small shrimp-like creatures, always born two at a time. Babies are carried around by the father, who supports them in his shell's eye sockets. Baby life usually lasts about 6 months. Babies are recognised as adults once their eye stalks retract and their shell develops. Adult life usually lasts about 125 years. As they approach old age, their shell's teeth start turning gold, large seaweed beards form, and their legs and shell's bottom jaw grow out, creating a much taller stature. Older Skollcrabbs usually keep their claws inside their shells. Elderly life usually lasts 50 years.
Predators: Unknown
Evolutionary advantages: Skull shells designed to be retracted into, with a look warding off potential predators into thinking a bigger fish is around. 

INFLUENCES

REAL CREATURES

Two main creatures influenced the Skollcrabb; the hermit crab and the coconut crab.

Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans with the trait of adopting shells of their own to live in by, effectively, stealing it. Shells become more in demand as the crabs grow, and fights can occur between hermit crabs who want the same shell. The strong correlation between crab and shell was my main draw from the hermit crab, especially given how much they mean to them.

The coconut crab was my other main source of inspiration, mostly for the colour scheme and for the Skollcrabb's elderly form. Coconut crabs are the largest arthropods on the planet, measuring up to 1 meter from leg to leg. They're also known as robber crabs, often known to steal objects from humans living near coasts of Australia. The huge size is what inspired the much taller stature of the elderly Skollcrabb, and it's black, purple and red colour scheme was the main inspiration for the Skollcrabb's "real" colours.

FICTIONAL

Their were a few fictional creatures that inspired the Skollcrabb, most notably Tamatoa from 2016's Moana and some of the crab inspired Pokemon from the Pokemon series.

Tamatoa is a giant coconut crab from Disney's 2016 animated film Moana. He acts as a deutagonist, acting as a mini-boss of sorts to get Maui's magical fish hook back. Tamatoa is a fan of gold and shiny objects (evidenced by his collection on his shell, as well as a David Bowie inspired song about it.), referencing the hoarder-like qualities the real coconut crab has. This colour scheme is more close to what inspired the Skollcrabb's colours




Some Pokemon from the Pokemon video game series also inspired the Skollcrabbs. Most notable are (from left to right, top to bottom) Dwebble, Crustle, Paras and Parasect. They all feature very bug-eyed with very large, characterised shells (bar Paras). The claws and legs for the Skollcrabb were inspired by these pokemon as well, having quite thin legs with VERY large claws, which are somewhat rounded.