FRIC — Viewing Species: Kelpricorn

This egg is perfectly round and seems strangely fragile. It's mottled with several colours that look like scale patches or spots, but the shell itself is smooth and cool to the touch.

Strange as it may be, something looking like a cross between a horse and a fish has hatched from the egg. It's shy, and takes a great deal of care to warm up to its handler, but once it does it becomes playful, ramming into things (and people) with its short, hard horns. Though it can move around somewhat clumsily on land, its scaled tail quickly dries out and it favors the water. It has gills, but also lungs, and can breathe both in and out of the water.

Kelpricorns are aquatic omnivores related to Qidriks and, more distantly, Drakilin. They have vibrant scales which sparkle under the combination of clear waters and a bright sun, and which create a dazzling array of colours to attract mates. Though they normally come in an array of colours, it is unusual but not uncommon to see an individual which bears no colour; these don't survive for very long in the wild. Wild adults are wary of other creatures, and taming one can be extremely difficult; it is therefore easier to raise one from an egg so that it can bond with its handler. In the wild, these creatures form herds of one male and several females; the male defends his harem from predators and rival males. When the herd contains infants and adolescents, the male becomes more aggressive, to protect his offspring. When his sons near adulthood, they leave of their own accord, and are only rarely chased away.

Although Kelpricorns are primarily grazers which feed on seagrasses and kelp, their long frontal horns are used both for defense and to spear fish for a source of protein. These horns are hard and sharp, capable of doing lethal damage to both predators and rivals. The animals favor shallow, warm waters, but have been seen in open ocean and in colder seas. When active, the herd can cover a wide range of area, but tend to sleep in sheltered coves and reefs. Watching Kelpricorns arc over the water like dolphins has quickly become a popular recreational activity for researchers which frequent Chroma Coast.