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Description
A human diver has an encounter with a fire ray in Lake Infernis, on Vulcan Island, on the planet Cerulea. Fortunately, these are gentle giants so the diver is in no peril.

Vulcan Island is the largest island in the Fire Chain, located roughly in the middle of the island group. In the south of the island is Lake Infernis. This is the largest lake in the Fire Chain, and the second largest lake on all of Cerulea, surpassed only by Lake Cartier-Wells in south-west Occidentalis.

Surrounding volcanic activity heats up the lake water, which commonly reaches temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius or more. The water is also somewhat acidic, with an average pH of about 4. Not a lot of creatures can survive let alone thrive here. But there are nevertheless some that do. Swarms of aquatic micro-organisms sustain many jelly masses living along the lake bottom. And feeding on the jelly masses are the fire rays.

The largest member of the jelly ray group, fire rays can exceed 2 metres in diameter. Their skin is thick and tough, and their eyes are covered by a transparent protective membrane to protect them from the warm acidic water. They gets their name both from their volcanic habitat and from their striking colouration.

Fire rays are endemic to Lake Infernis, being found nowhere else. They are slow swimming sluggish creatures. Feeding on the immobile jelly masses, and having no natural predators, they can afford to live life slowly and steadily. The fire rays' docile nature makes them quite harmless and they can be safely approached and even touched by human divers (not that there are all that many people who go diving in Lake Infernis).

Fire rays lay eggs on the lake bottom, and have no parental care. They have quite a slow reproduction rate, with females laying 2-4 eggs at a time and only doing so quite infrequently. But as long as their habitat remains stable that is not much of an issue. So far, that has been the case, but there have been speculations as to whether volcanic activity will cause disruptions to the lake ecosystem in the future. And if so, will the fire rays be able to adapt and survive on their own. Only time will tell.

Description
A human diver has an encounter with a fire ray in Lake Infernis, on Vulcan Island, on the planet Cerulea. Fortunately, these are gentle giants so the diver is in no peril.

Vulcan Island is the largest island in the Fire Chain, located roughly in the middle of the island group. In the south of the island is Lake Infernis. This is the largest lake in the Fire Chain, and the second largest lake on all of Cerulea, surpassed only by Lake Cartier-Wells in south-west Occidentalis.

Surrounding volcanic activity heats up the lake water, which commonly reaches temperatures as high as 30 degrees Celsius or more. The water is also somewhat acidic, with an average pH of about 4. Not a lot of creatures can survive let alone thrive here. But there are nevertheless some that do. Swarms of aquatic micro-organisms sustain many jelly masses living along the lake bottom. And feeding on the jelly masses are the fire rays.

The largest member of the jelly ray group, fire rays can exceed 2 metres in diameter. Their skin is thick and tough, and their eyes are covered by a transparent protective membrane to protect them from the warm acidic water. They gets their name both from their volcanic habitat and from their striking colouration.

Fire rays are endemic to Lake Infernis, being found nowhere else. They are slow swimming sluggish creatures. Feeding on the immobile jelly masses, and having no natural predators, they can afford to live life slowly and steadily. The fire rays' docile nature makes them quite harmless and they can be safely approached and even touched by human divers (not that there are all that many people who go diving in Lake Infernis).

Fire rays lay eggs on the lake bottom, and have no parental care. They have quite a slow reproduction rate, with females laying 2-4 eggs at a time and only doing so quite infrequently. But as long as their habitat remains stable that is not much of an issue. So far, that has been the case, but there have been speculations as to whether volcanic activity will cause disruptions to the lake ecosystem in the future. And if so, will the fire rays be able to adapt and survive on their own. Only time will tell.