Post by Phly on Mar 4, 2009 2:09:03 GMT -6
Disclaimer: I by no means wrote nor edited nor am affiliated with those persons who did write this. Information taken, in full. from A Guide to Pern hosted on Anglefire.
Ecology
Pernese biomes have been profoundly affected by the cyclical appearance of Thread, a spore which destroys organic material. This has resulted in a relative dearth of terrestrial plants and animals. However, as Thread drowns in water, Pern has a much more populous and thriving aquatic ecology.
Pernese biomes contain both indigenous Pernese flora and fauna and introduced species from other worlds -- primarily Earth. (The original EEC team found that there was very little biodiversity, meaning that the colonists, coming two hundred years later, brought flora and fauna species with them.)
The original Pernese Settlers brought a wide variety of animals and plants with them when they originally settled the planet. However, due to both the disastrous threadfall and the natural Pernese landscape, some animals never adapted at all. Deer and other forest-dwelling animals did not fare well in Pern's warm, tropical climate. Other animals required "genetic adaptation" but survived in some form or another.
The stores of ova and sperm aboard the ships were extensive. Any variety of any species that the biogeneticists had thought would prosper on the new world was included. Animal host mothers, some cows and goats of small but sturdy genotypes, were shipped frozen from Earth to Pern and revived to bear fertilized ova of nearly all the larger animals brought from the Animal Reproduction Banks of Terra.
The bearing techniques had been perfected on First Centauri. A host mother did not need to be of the same species as the fetuses she bore. With help, a goat could carry and bear calves or lambs,and a cow was capable of bringing colts and young llamas to term as easily as it could bear its own calves. The cattle of choice were long-haired Scotch cattle with short, curled horns, a small but very tough breed. Ova implanted in them were every type of cattle suitable for milk, meat or hide. The sheep were of various kinds, both long and short-fleeced. With the exception of the Kashmir, all the goats bred survived.
Permission had been obtained by the bioengineers to use the techniques of the Eridani to adapt animals to Pern. The most important of these methods were gene paring, mentasynth, and chromosome enhancements. Fish and other marine life from Earth were introduced to the waters with minimal adaptations. Horses were improved somewhat by genetic tinkering. The "grubs" whcih rendered a piece of protected ground inimical to Tread, were engineered by a renegade biologist/botanist of the original colony. Unfortunately, he left no records of the research that generated these useful insects. The Southern Continent has unchecked jungle because of the grubs' protection (this jungle is also home to pockets of original Terran trees that were not brought North but have survived on Southern).
Fauna
Avian[/i]
The first Earth creature to be born on Pern were chickens. Geese and ducks were next to be hatched out. The fertilized turkey ova failed to mature, but the other types of barnyard fowl were doing well enough that the veterinarians were not displeased to have lost only one species. Doves and pigeons hatched out, but between wherries and tunnel snakes, neither species lasted long enough to mate.
Wild Fowl: A small edible avian resembling its ancestor the Terran ring-neck quail. Extremely rare in the North, extinct in the South due to predation.
Geese: A long necked, domestic avian known to be bad tempered, but quite tasty if cooked properly. They are not common in the North, due to the difficulty in raising them, specifically in keeping them from wherries. However Southern cotholders, because of the abundance of trained firelizards and whers, have been able to raise large flocks of them.
Chickens: Small domestic avians used for both meat and eggs. Not common in North due to difficulty in raising them, but can be found in places like Southern Boll Hold. Population rising in the South.
Duck: Domestic water fowl that are not common in the North due to difficulty in raising them. Population rising in the South.
Native Avian: Small to medium sized wild avians. They are natives of Pern and have two legs, two small forearms and wings. They come in a variety of colors and species.
Mammals[/i]
Domestic Feline: Descendants of the Terran tabby-cat, cats were thawed out and began to produce litters within weeks. They are similar to Terran cats but are about twice as big with thicker fur. Short haired varieties are being experimented with in the South. Useful in controlling the numbers of tunnelsnakes, crawlers, and other pests. Called felines or cats.
Domestic Canine: Descendants of the Terran dog. Used to guard homes, herd livestock, turn spits or even as small pack animals. They also help keep vermin like tunnelsnakes out of holds and homes. Called canines or dogs. The chosen breed of dog was a ferret-dog, a Jack Russel terrier type that would kill the snakes that were attacking the nomal folk who slept in the open air. Later, the dogs were employed to chase and kill tunnel snakes. The DLG also shows a picture of a sheperd-type breed though it does not mention it.
The Pernese circa the Ninth Pass of the Red Star tend to categorize animals by use more than by species. Herdbeasts are animals kept in large numbers for meat or leather, and include bovines, ovines and caprines (which became the standard Pernese terms for cows, sheep and goats). Milchbeasts are the same species as herdbeasts, but kept for milk. Draybeasts are donkeys. Runners are a particular breed of horse developed by the Pernese. Burdenbeasts may be donkeys, oxen or draft horses.
Runnerbeast: The descendant of the Terran horse. Strong but fairly small horses were bred, blending Connemara and Welsh strains for riding. Shire horses were bred as draft animals and for the gyspsy wagons. Used as transportation and as pack animals mostly. Have generally denser bones, larger eyes and ears (some say because of the use of mule DNA), and larger heart and lungs than the extinct Terran horse. Called runners, runnerbeasts, or equines.
Draftbeast: Descendants of the Shire Draft horse. Big heavy beasts with mild temperaments. Called Draftbeast, draft runner, or draft runnerbeast.
Draybeast: Descendants of the Terran donkey. Cheaper and more durable than runners, and therefore used extensively by smaller cotholders. A few herds of them run wild in the grassland areas of the South, and have adapted with shorter tawny coats and splayed hooves. Called Draybeasts, or donkeys, males are jacks, females are jennets.
Cotter’s Cross-Beast: These animals are crosses between runnerbeasts and draybeasts, and come in two types: Mules and hinnies. Mules are the result of a cross between a male donkey and a female horse, which is the more common mating, and are larger than most hinnies or horses with a calmer, steadier nature. Hinnies are the result of a cross between a female donkey and a male horse, and are usually smaller than mules with a more “horse-like” high spirit, which makes them more prone to get “spooked.” Mules and hinnies have mostly similar features: a straight neck, longer thinner flanks, thick hunches, large hooves, long donkey ears, a tail like a horse, and an unusual call that sounds like a cross between a horse’s whiney and a donkey’s bray described as “Whinee-aw ah aw.” Mules and hinnies are almost always infertile, and must be bred from horses and donkies to replenish the population. However, the early colonists were trying to genetically engeneer lines of horses and donkies that, when bred together, would produce fertile offspring nearly nintey percent of the time. Some off those lines still exists in the South, and beastcrafters are experimenting with them. Called Cotter’s Crosses, Cross-beasts, mules, or hinnies.
Burdenbeast: Descendants of the Terran llama. Used for both pack animals and for wool production. Used less in the South than the North. A wild southern type lives in the mountains surrounding the Arolos Protectorate. Called Burdenbeasts or llamas.
Bovine: A type of herdbeast descended from Terran cattle. There are both milk and beef cattle. Have denser bones, and bigger heart and lungs. There are two varieties of bovine, the Southern and the Northern. Southern bovines, descended from the animals left behind during the first evacuation from Southern, have long horns, short lightly colored fur, and splaying hooves. Northern bovines have been bred into many varieties, but are generally heavy with short curving horns, and longer fur. Called bovines or herdbeasts.
Ovine: A type of herdbeast descended from Terran sheep. Used for meat, wool and milk. Wild Southern varieties live in the grasslands, hills, and mountains. Called either ovines or sheep. Males are called rams and females are called ewes.
Caprine: A type of herdbeast descended from Terran dairy and meat goats. Pernese varieties have tightly curling horns and long wooly coats, except in the South where coats are short. Used these days for milk, meat and wool. Wild varieties live in Southern alongside the wild ovines. Called caprines or goats. Males are called bucks and females does.
Porcine: A type of small herdbeast descended from Terran swine. The pigs were useful as disposal systems, transforming slops into protein-rich meat. Since not as many pigs were bred as other herd animals, pork came to be regarded as a special treat. In both North and South they have evolved to resemble the wild Terran boar, with thick bristly hair and short sharp horns. Called porcine, pigs, or hogs. Males are called boars and females are called sows.
Wild Feline: The creator of the grubs also experimented with cheetah fetuses, trying to produced a mentasynth-enhanced feline that would kill tunnel snakes and other dangerous creatures. He was familiar enough with the Eridani equations to know that cats reacted poorly to mentasynth, but he recklessly ignored that knowledge. The animals escaped after killing him and wild descendents now roam the Southern Continent. They are empathic enough to anticipate your next move, but not empathic enough to not want to taste the sweet tang of your flesh. (Not to be confused with domestic felines (cats) that have gone feral, which are not wild, but feral.)
Dragonkin
Firelizard: The name for modern firelizards descended from the mentasynth enhanced dragonets that were bioengineered by Kitti Ping before she went on the engineer the dragons. They have pentadactyl (five fingered) claws and are leaner and have flatter noses then the old dragonets. Firelizards return to the wild when their humans die. They do not suicide like dragons do when their owners die. Kitti Ping saw to it that dragons followed their riders in death, but made no provisions for flits.
Wild wherries: Large predatory avians. They have four legs and two wings, but instead of feathers, they are covered in thick proto-feathers, multiple tufts like a Terran Marabou stork. They range in size from twice the height of a Terran turkey to the size of an ostrich, and turn cannibal when one of their number is wounded or killed.
Domestic-wherries: Either wild wherries with their wings clipped to prevent flight or flightless descendants of wherries captured and bred by the original colonists, as the wild turkey was domesticated by Terrans.
Watch Wher: Impressable creatures bioengineered by Wind Blossom Ping in an attempt to improve on Kitti Ping's design of the dragons, resulting in ugly, malformed, photophobic, flightless dragons. They grow to about the size of a low slung runner and can move with surprising speed. Used by Holds and Weyrs as guard animals. Also useful in mining due to their superior night vision. They do not die when their masters die and often stay loyal to the family that owns them. The live about 60 - 100 turns though. Intelligence is low, about that of a 2 year old child at best.
In this Pern universe, a wher acts similarly to the whers found in Todd McCaffery's books, in particular Dragonkin. Yes, yes, we all hate Tood, but I liked his whers.
Tunnel snake: A snakelike creature with a turtle-like face and six limbs. Most are poisonous and live in caves and stony outcroppings. Most average 2-4 feet in length. Some have scales, some have skin, but most have six stubby limbs for creeping along tunnels. There are even water dwelling species.
Aquatics
Shipfish/Dolphin: A genetically altered breed of dolphins, sometimes called shipfish, accompanied humans to Pern. These dolphins had greatly increased intelligence, including a degree of psychic ability, and had developed means of communicating with humans. Unlike many of the other animals that accompanied humans, dolphins took to their new home well. They were trained to come to the sound of Dolphin Bells and helped troubled sailors in the oceans. Unfortunately, contact between dolphins and humans soon deteriorated, and for much of Pernese history they were not known to the human population.
As of right now, not many Pernese realize the significance of dolphins.
Shellfish: Aquatic animals with shells. Such as clams, muscles, etc.
Fingertails: Small, long bodied, carp-like fish with a whip-like tail and multiple fins giving them a furry look.
Rockmites: Tiny little water-dwelling beetles often found hiding in the cracks of rocks. (interpreted description)
Packtail: A tasty, but dangerously barbed fish. (Resembling the Terran monkfish)
Spiderclaws: Small crab-like creatures with many pairs of jointed legs.
Speckler: A large tasty fish. (Much like the Terran bass--Interpreted description.)
Flatfish: Bottom dwelling fish. (Much like the Terran halibut or flounder--Interpreted description)
Yellowtail: A large edible fish. (Much like the Terran tuna--Interpreted description).
Watersnakes: A water-dwelling variety of tunnelsnake with fins instead of legs. Most types are no bigger than their land-bound cousins, but some types are huge, growing nearly to the size of a small dragon.
Sea eels: A long, slippery, snakelike fish with three pairs of tiny fins. Believed to have been the ancestor of the tunnelsnake.
Insects
Crawlers: A sort of small, six-legged, gecko looking creature that crawls along walls and even ceilings with their sticky little feet. They have a round stinging mouth and no eyes. Humans and dragons loathe them, firelizards love to eat them.
Sandworms: The sandworm of Igen. Ugly, grub-like creatures known for the fact that they eat thread. It is believed that grubs were bred from them by some.
Grubs: Lumpy, furry little grubs that have spread throughout the southern continent. They are known both for their eating of Thread and their beneficial affect on the plants around them.
Fly-by: A small flying insect much like a gnat.
Leeches: A blood sucking worm found in slow moving water.
Flies: Small insects much like the housefly, but built differently. They may bite.
Wrigglers: Native worms much like earthworms.
Trundlebugs: A useful insect that eats parasites, turns the soil and acts as a pollinator. They have the most elaborate color camouflage of all the insects found on Pern and come in many colors.
(Pernese) Fireflies: A small winged beetle whose abdomen glows with a luminescent light. Looks a bit like the Terran firefly, but tends to glow in different colors.
VTOLS: A sort of furry insect with double pairs of wings. The discoverers of these insects named them VTOLS (for 'Vertical Take-Off and Landing').
Bedbugs: A small wingless, biting insect that infests bedding, etc.
Crawlies: See crawlers.
Rollers: A type of wood louse.
Springs: Insects that hang in spiral loops until they find someone or something to cling to. They have an irritating, prickly bite.
Millipedes: A wormlike insect with many little legs. Trundlebugs are a species of Pernese millipede.
Spinners: Native species of Pernese spiders. There are also imported species descended from ones brought by the colonists whose silk can be gathered and spun like silkworm silk, though not quite as fine. Called gossamer spinners.
Ecology
Pernese biomes have been profoundly affected by the cyclical appearance of Thread, a spore which destroys organic material. This has resulted in a relative dearth of terrestrial plants and animals. However, as Thread drowns in water, Pern has a much more populous and thriving aquatic ecology.
Pernese biomes contain both indigenous Pernese flora and fauna and introduced species from other worlds -- primarily Earth. (The original EEC team found that there was very little biodiversity, meaning that the colonists, coming two hundred years later, brought flora and fauna species with them.)
The original Pernese Settlers brought a wide variety of animals and plants with them when they originally settled the planet. However, due to both the disastrous threadfall and the natural Pernese landscape, some animals never adapted at all. Deer and other forest-dwelling animals did not fare well in Pern's warm, tropical climate. Other animals required "genetic adaptation" but survived in some form or another.
The stores of ova and sperm aboard the ships were extensive. Any variety of any species that the biogeneticists had thought would prosper on the new world was included. Animal host mothers, some cows and goats of small but sturdy genotypes, were shipped frozen from Earth to Pern and revived to bear fertilized ova of nearly all the larger animals brought from the Animal Reproduction Banks of Terra.
The bearing techniques had been perfected on First Centauri. A host mother did not need to be of the same species as the fetuses she bore. With help, a goat could carry and bear calves or lambs,and a cow was capable of bringing colts and young llamas to term as easily as it could bear its own calves. The cattle of choice were long-haired Scotch cattle with short, curled horns, a small but very tough breed. Ova implanted in them were every type of cattle suitable for milk, meat or hide. The sheep were of various kinds, both long and short-fleeced. With the exception of the Kashmir, all the goats bred survived.
Permission had been obtained by the bioengineers to use the techniques of the Eridani to adapt animals to Pern. The most important of these methods were gene paring, mentasynth, and chromosome enhancements. Fish and other marine life from Earth were introduced to the waters with minimal adaptations. Horses were improved somewhat by genetic tinkering. The "grubs" whcih rendered a piece of protected ground inimical to Tread, were engineered by a renegade biologist/botanist of the original colony. Unfortunately, he left no records of the research that generated these useful insects. The Southern Continent has unchecked jungle because of the grubs' protection (this jungle is also home to pockets of original Terran trees that were not brought North but have survived on Southern).
Fauna
Avian[/i]
The first Earth creature to be born on Pern were chickens. Geese and ducks were next to be hatched out. The fertilized turkey ova failed to mature, but the other types of barnyard fowl were doing well enough that the veterinarians were not displeased to have lost only one species. Doves and pigeons hatched out, but between wherries and tunnel snakes, neither species lasted long enough to mate.
Wild Fowl: A small edible avian resembling its ancestor the Terran ring-neck quail. Extremely rare in the North, extinct in the South due to predation.
Geese: A long necked, domestic avian known to be bad tempered, but quite tasty if cooked properly. They are not common in the North, due to the difficulty in raising them, specifically in keeping them from wherries. However Southern cotholders, because of the abundance of trained firelizards and whers, have been able to raise large flocks of them.
Chickens: Small domestic avians used for both meat and eggs. Not common in North due to difficulty in raising them, but can be found in places like Southern Boll Hold. Population rising in the South.
Duck: Domestic water fowl that are not common in the North due to difficulty in raising them. Population rising in the South.
Native Avian: Small to medium sized wild avians. They are natives of Pern and have two legs, two small forearms and wings. They come in a variety of colors and species.
Mammals[/i]
Domestic Feline: Descendants of the Terran tabby-cat, cats were thawed out and began to produce litters within weeks. They are similar to Terran cats but are about twice as big with thicker fur. Short haired varieties are being experimented with in the South. Useful in controlling the numbers of tunnelsnakes, crawlers, and other pests. Called felines or cats.
Domestic Canine: Descendants of the Terran dog. Used to guard homes, herd livestock, turn spits or even as small pack animals. They also help keep vermin like tunnelsnakes out of holds and homes. Called canines or dogs. The chosen breed of dog was a ferret-dog, a Jack Russel terrier type that would kill the snakes that were attacking the nomal folk who slept in the open air. Later, the dogs were employed to chase and kill tunnel snakes. The DLG also shows a picture of a sheperd-type breed though it does not mention it.
The Pernese circa the Ninth Pass of the Red Star tend to categorize animals by use more than by species. Herdbeasts are animals kept in large numbers for meat or leather, and include bovines, ovines and caprines (which became the standard Pernese terms for cows, sheep and goats). Milchbeasts are the same species as herdbeasts, but kept for milk. Draybeasts are donkeys. Runners are a particular breed of horse developed by the Pernese. Burdenbeasts may be donkeys, oxen or draft horses.
Runnerbeast: The descendant of the Terran horse. Strong but fairly small horses were bred, blending Connemara and Welsh strains for riding. Shire horses were bred as draft animals and for the gyspsy wagons. Used as transportation and as pack animals mostly. Have generally denser bones, larger eyes and ears (some say because of the use of mule DNA), and larger heart and lungs than the extinct Terran horse. Called runners, runnerbeasts, or equines.
Draftbeast: Descendants of the Shire Draft horse. Big heavy beasts with mild temperaments. Called Draftbeast, draft runner, or draft runnerbeast.
Draybeast: Descendants of the Terran donkey. Cheaper and more durable than runners, and therefore used extensively by smaller cotholders. A few herds of them run wild in the grassland areas of the South, and have adapted with shorter tawny coats and splayed hooves. Called Draybeasts, or donkeys, males are jacks, females are jennets.
Cotter’s Cross-Beast: These animals are crosses between runnerbeasts and draybeasts, and come in two types: Mules and hinnies. Mules are the result of a cross between a male donkey and a female horse, which is the more common mating, and are larger than most hinnies or horses with a calmer, steadier nature. Hinnies are the result of a cross between a female donkey and a male horse, and are usually smaller than mules with a more “horse-like” high spirit, which makes them more prone to get “spooked.” Mules and hinnies have mostly similar features: a straight neck, longer thinner flanks, thick hunches, large hooves, long donkey ears, a tail like a horse, and an unusual call that sounds like a cross between a horse’s whiney and a donkey’s bray described as “Whinee-aw ah aw.” Mules and hinnies are almost always infertile, and must be bred from horses and donkies to replenish the population. However, the early colonists were trying to genetically engeneer lines of horses and donkies that, when bred together, would produce fertile offspring nearly nintey percent of the time. Some off those lines still exists in the South, and beastcrafters are experimenting with them. Called Cotter’s Crosses, Cross-beasts, mules, or hinnies.
Burdenbeast: Descendants of the Terran llama. Used for both pack animals and for wool production. Used less in the South than the North. A wild southern type lives in the mountains surrounding the Arolos Protectorate. Called Burdenbeasts or llamas.
Bovine: A type of herdbeast descended from Terran cattle. There are both milk and beef cattle. Have denser bones, and bigger heart and lungs. There are two varieties of bovine, the Southern and the Northern. Southern bovines, descended from the animals left behind during the first evacuation from Southern, have long horns, short lightly colored fur, and splaying hooves. Northern bovines have been bred into many varieties, but are generally heavy with short curving horns, and longer fur. Called bovines or herdbeasts.
Ovine: A type of herdbeast descended from Terran sheep. Used for meat, wool and milk. Wild Southern varieties live in the grasslands, hills, and mountains. Called either ovines or sheep. Males are called rams and females are called ewes.
Caprine: A type of herdbeast descended from Terran dairy and meat goats. Pernese varieties have tightly curling horns and long wooly coats, except in the South where coats are short. Used these days for milk, meat and wool. Wild varieties live in Southern alongside the wild ovines. Called caprines or goats. Males are called bucks and females does.
Porcine: A type of small herdbeast descended from Terran swine. The pigs were useful as disposal systems, transforming slops into protein-rich meat. Since not as many pigs were bred as other herd animals, pork came to be regarded as a special treat. In both North and South they have evolved to resemble the wild Terran boar, with thick bristly hair and short sharp horns. Called porcine, pigs, or hogs. Males are called boars and females are called sows.
Wild Feline: The creator of the grubs also experimented with cheetah fetuses, trying to produced a mentasynth-enhanced feline that would kill tunnel snakes and other dangerous creatures. He was familiar enough with the Eridani equations to know that cats reacted poorly to mentasynth, but he recklessly ignored that knowledge. The animals escaped after killing him and wild descendents now roam the Southern Continent. They are empathic enough to anticipate your next move, but not empathic enough to not want to taste the sweet tang of your flesh. (Not to be confused with domestic felines (cats) that have gone feral, which are not wild, but feral.)
Dragonkin
Dragonet:The name for the pre-mentasynth enhanced firelizards. They have pincer-like forefeet with a tridactyl claw and their bodies heavier and heads longer than modern firelizards. Sadly, this species is extinct.
Firelizard: The name for modern firelizards descended from the mentasynth enhanced dragonets that were bioengineered by Kitti Ping before she went on the engineer the dragons. They have pentadactyl (five fingered) claws and are leaner and have flatter noses then the old dragonets. Firelizards return to the wild when their humans die. They do not suicide like dragons do when their owners die. Kitti Ping saw to it that dragons followed their riders in death, but made no provisions for flits.
Wild wherries: Large predatory avians. They have four legs and two wings, but instead of feathers, they are covered in thick proto-feathers, multiple tufts like a Terran Marabou stork. They range in size from twice the height of a Terran turkey to the size of an ostrich, and turn cannibal when one of their number is wounded or killed.
Domestic-wherries: Either wild wherries with their wings clipped to prevent flight or flightless descendants of wherries captured and bred by the original colonists, as the wild turkey was domesticated by Terrans.
Watch Wher: Impressable creatures bioengineered by Wind Blossom Ping in an attempt to improve on Kitti Ping's design of the dragons, resulting in ugly, malformed, photophobic, flightless dragons. They grow to about the size of a low slung runner and can move with surprising speed. Used by Holds and Weyrs as guard animals. Also useful in mining due to their superior night vision. They do not die when their masters die and often stay loyal to the family that owns them. The live about 60 - 100 turns though. Intelligence is low, about that of a 2 year old child at best.
In this Pern universe, a wher acts similarly to the whers found in Todd McCaffery's books, in particular Dragonkin. Yes, yes, we all hate Tood, but I liked his whers.
Tunnel snake: A snakelike creature with a turtle-like face and six limbs. Most are poisonous and live in caves and stony outcroppings. Most average 2-4 feet in length. Some have scales, some have skin, but most have six stubby limbs for creeping along tunnels. There are even water dwelling species.
Aquatics
Shipfish/Dolphin: A genetically altered breed of dolphins, sometimes called shipfish, accompanied humans to Pern. These dolphins had greatly increased intelligence, including a degree of psychic ability, and had developed means of communicating with humans. Unlike many of the other animals that accompanied humans, dolphins took to their new home well. They were trained to come to the sound of Dolphin Bells and helped troubled sailors in the oceans. Unfortunately, contact between dolphins and humans soon deteriorated, and for much of Pernese history they were not known to the human population.
As of right now, not many Pernese realize the significance of dolphins.
Shellfish: Aquatic animals with shells. Such as clams, muscles, etc.
Fingertails: Small, long bodied, carp-like fish with a whip-like tail and multiple fins giving them a furry look.
Rockmites: Tiny little water-dwelling beetles often found hiding in the cracks of rocks. (interpreted description)
Packtail: A tasty, but dangerously barbed fish. (Resembling the Terran monkfish)
Spiderclaws: Small crab-like creatures with many pairs of jointed legs.
Speckler: A large tasty fish. (Much like the Terran bass--Interpreted description.)
Flatfish: Bottom dwelling fish. (Much like the Terran halibut or flounder--Interpreted description)
Yellowtail: A large edible fish. (Much like the Terran tuna--Interpreted description).
Watersnakes: A water-dwelling variety of tunnelsnake with fins instead of legs. Most types are no bigger than their land-bound cousins, but some types are huge, growing nearly to the size of a small dragon.
Sea eels: A long, slippery, snakelike fish with three pairs of tiny fins. Believed to have been the ancestor of the tunnelsnake.
Insects
Crawlers: A sort of small, six-legged, gecko looking creature that crawls along walls and even ceilings with their sticky little feet. They have a round stinging mouth and no eyes. Humans and dragons loathe them, firelizards love to eat them.
Sandworms: The sandworm of Igen. Ugly, grub-like creatures known for the fact that they eat thread. It is believed that grubs were bred from them by some.
Grubs: Lumpy, furry little grubs that have spread throughout the southern continent. They are known both for their eating of Thread and their beneficial affect on the plants around them.
Fly-by: A small flying insect much like a gnat.
Leeches: A blood sucking worm found in slow moving water.
Flies: Small insects much like the housefly, but built differently. They may bite.
Wrigglers: Native worms much like earthworms.
Trundlebugs: A useful insect that eats parasites, turns the soil and acts as a pollinator. They have the most elaborate color camouflage of all the insects found on Pern and come in many colors.
(Pernese) Fireflies: A small winged beetle whose abdomen glows with a luminescent light. Looks a bit like the Terran firefly, but tends to glow in different colors.
VTOLS: A sort of furry insect with double pairs of wings. The discoverers of these insects named them VTOLS (for 'Vertical Take-Off and Landing').
Bedbugs: A small wingless, biting insect that infests bedding, etc.
Crawlies: See crawlers.
Rollers: A type of wood louse.
Springs: Insects that hang in spiral loops until they find someone or something to cling to. They have an irritating, prickly bite.
Millipedes: A wormlike insect with many little legs. Trundlebugs are a species of Pernese millipede.
Spinners: Native species of Pernese spiders. There are also imported species descended from ones brought by the colonists whose silk can be gathered and spun like silkworm silk, though not quite as fine. Called gossamer spinners.