C.O.W. - #055: Pearl Finder - Voting!
ROUND #055 VOTING
Topic: Pearl Finder
Deadline for the voting: Saturday, 12th August 2006
Posting thread (closed):
http://www.conceptart.org/forums/showthread.php?t=73553
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artist: Supervlieg
concept: The Furblegutter
(stolidus subsido piscis piscis)
Probably the dumbest fish ever to have inhabited the ocean. The locals of the fiji islands called the Furblegutter "stupid sinking fish" in
their native language. Its lifecycle was extremely short. Once the male fish hit maturity they started collecting pearls to impress the
females of the species.
With its long and versatile tongue it attached the pearls to its forehead. In its blind collecting rage the Furblegutter never stopped to
consider the weight the pearls added to its forehead, making it an unstable swimmer. Most mature males died within a few weeks by
simply sinking to the bottom of the ocean because of the heavy load of the pearls. Since females of the species tended to mate with
the most heavely loaded males, the stupid habit of the sinking pearl finders was actually reinforced through reproduction.
Soon the newer generation fish began collecting pearls before they reached maturity. It is widely accepted among marine biologists
that the Furblegutter became extinct really, really fast.
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artist: brokk
concept:
The Pearl Finders are domesticated creatures that have been used by the Tritonia, Fish-men and women for ages. A basic gatherer creature, they are used for locating and collecting pearls, which are then used in an variety of objects by the Tritonia, including hand held objects, clothes, and architecture. The pearls are also sold to the other factions, especially the land dwellers. Pearl Finders can also be purchased by land dwellers, owning one is sign of prestige, and can bring even quicker fortune. The Finders have modified middle fingers which are flat, they use these to open up oysters and clams found on the shore as well as underwater. On their back are holes for carrying the pearls, being able to carry 7 on each side. Additionally, an extra pearl can be carried in each hand, as well as the tail, for a total of 17 pearls on full cargo.
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artist: Headhunter
concept:
The pearl finder is one of the fastest creatures in the ocean. There are a few who can capture the animal. It`s swims without using it`s legs, but they can be very useful for wandering the depths or when fighting with predators.
It feeds on plankton and pearls. It`s a peace-loving creature except for the few moments when it is irritated.The pearl finder has many eyes which help it find pearls.
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artist: JakkaS
concept: TAG-TAG
If you want to see Tag-tag in his natural enviroment you have to visit Sohaks' moon called `SoSoh`. They lives on the surface but hunts in the oceans. Tag-tags are very fast in the water but they loose their elegancy on the dry land. However, they proofs their worth on the ground. How do they do that? They dives in the oceans in search of pearls. If they find one they stacks it in their ass - this is only way to get it on the surface. When they comes out of the water their starts to running on the beach. Then, if they see any people they tries to attract their attention. Usually after a minute, some of them would notice that there is a sea pearl in the Tag Tag`s bottom. Imagine several people running down the beach to catch that small creature. It's a really amusing view! Scientist doesn't have any idea why the Tag Tags does that - they assume that perhaps for fun or to proof their worth, or maybe because they want to impress the females or other males of their kind. However, when one of creatures is chased by a large number of tourists the rest demonstrates their admire by utter very characteristic sounds which sounds like Tagtag! Tagtag! Tagtag!
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artist: llothcat
concept:
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artist: blog
concept:
The Pearlicus Finderus exists to the world only in Legend, except to one man. Jesse Howard, who was determined to prove this legend wrong. Until one day he noticed an orange light in the depths of the great North Ocean, and from then on he had made a life of selling the grandest pearls the world has ever seen. The yellow lamp-like things on the end of the tentacles act as surging sensors and drag the creatures toward the largest of pearls in the ocean. And thus it is called the pearlicus finderus...
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artist: Reality Forge
concept: Bonemask Glider
The males of this species of fish-like creature develop a large, soft head crest during the mating season, which in itself lacks color but is rich in blood vessels. To attract females with this display he needs to add some shine, and he gets this from another creature...
Large bivalves lie burried deep in the sand flats, and the male uses his modified tale to fish them out of the thick sludge. He then tears the creatures open to seek out large pearls, which he grinds up in his mouth to form a paste. Rubbing this pearl paste on his head crest, he forms a thin, gleaming layer of pearlescent reflective color. With this, he can now attract a female.
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artist: Helzon
concept:
Excerpt translated from the original text:
....it has recently come to our attention that our R&D facility in Mie Prefecture has developed
a working protoype of an organic/renewable pearl finder. Reviewing all of the reports it seems that 9A(xxy) has been by far
the most effective vs the cost or loss of product. It has all of the benefits of the earlier prototypes with very
few offsets. The chief among them the absorption of minute quantities of nacre that are then exuded through the exoskeleton.
This line of prototypes was founded on very simple principles as to keep the error coefficient to a minimum.
Upon introduction into the bay water, 9A(xxy) releases a pseudoplanktonic cloud from it's lateral extension. The oysters instinctively open and begin to feed ravenously. The prototypes then fan out and with careful precision search the oysters. It should be noted that this is done with very little overlap or needless scrutiny. Utilizing it's forward appendages, they are carefully scraped across the surface of the shell, where they can feel the minute reverberations and discriminate, the presence, size and shape of any pearl within. If one is satisfactory, the prototypes secrete a mild numbing agent, and paralyze the oyster's adductor muscle, so as there is no chance of damage to either. It should not go unnoticed that the paralytic agent has an effective span of 3 minutes in fresh water, 8 minutes in salt water. This should greatly reduce the operational and reseeding downtime of any one bed. The pearl is immediately extracted and reposited in the protoype's anal opening at the top of it's shell where involuntary muscle contractions move it to an interior cavity....
The protoypes typically nest on shore at night. Harvesting procedures should be modified to take this into account....
Also we should begin buying or synthesizing quantities of squid ink. Only in the presence of this ink do the prototypes evacuate themselves
of their load. It can be concluded as a flight response to a natural predator.
Addendum : Should field tests prove favorable, preparations can begin immediately for a major staff reduction."
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artist: banhatin
concept:
A monster who likes collecting pearls. He drinks the liquid meat of the shellfish after open its shell with the forceps on his mouth. Then he picks the pearl and put it in the vesicle under his mouth.
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artist: dragon4lunch
concept: Pagwaque
In the forests where Pagwaques live, there are shells that live on trees. These shells live as parasites, crawling up onto trees when little, tapping into the nutrients flow of the tree and then grow large. This usually means the end for the tree, particularly when several of these parasitic shells cling to it.
The Pagwaque is a welcome forest inhabiter, as his primary food source are these shells, which he tears from the trees, opens with his powerful forarms and eats. It has been observed that Pagwaques have a fancy for the huge perls that sometimes grow in these shells. Male Pagwques have a flattened tail which they can use to carry perls. A male Pagwaque sometimes collects perls in his lair, which is believed to play a role in their mating ritual, but details are unknown...
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artist: SprayNation
concept: Sunken Medusa
Phylum: Cnidaria
Class: Scyphozoa
Species: Hydroza Tetracyte
Lifespan: 12-18 months
Size: 45-65 cm
The Hydroza Tetracyte (AKA "Sunken Medusa") is a marine invertebrate, cousin to the common jellyfish; however, Sunken Medusa's spawn a much deadlier form of jellyfish, known as a Tetraspore. Sunken Medusa's live along the ocean floor to find pearls. Within the Medusa's core, it reproduces hundreds of potential Tetraspores. The Sunken Medusa must find pearls to activate the spores nervous system; however, there is no limit to how many pearls a spore can hold. The more pearls a spore has will result in a higher electrical charge. During the first few days of the spores life outside of the Medusa's womb, it will remain attached by an umbilical to release more pearls into the spore. When the spore detaches it becomes the deadliest form of jellyfish known to man.
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artist: Michael Jaecks
concept:
These creatures are a recent scientific discovery. They are the smallest sea dwelling mammals on the planet, superficially related to the narwhal. They are shown in scale with the oyster. Their pearl finding process is obvious to see. As mammals, they must copulate to breed (unlike fish) . The males search oysters for pearls and collect them in its transparent gullet-sac. The male with the most pearls wins the female and regurgiates his collection as a dowry of sorts. She accepts the pearls into her gullet and then they mate.
The males also have stereoscopic vision (eyes on front of face) so they can locate and extract the pearls more easily. It is a delicate process.
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artist: kagechi
concept:
Most commonly known as the Pearl Moray, The Satamoto Pearl Harvester was engineered in the early part of the 22nd Century to Harvest pearls from the extreme depths of the oceans of Theros 4. Pearl hunting on Theros 4 has been largely abandoned but not all the original bio-engineered were recovered. Now, because of their armor plating and their ability to create strong electrical pulses, the Pearl Moray thrives in an enviroment where it has few predators.
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artist: gilgamesh828
concept:
Common name for this rare and ancient crustacean that survives by cultivating and hiding amongst its own food supply. The pearl finder secretes an oyster-like protrusion on its topmost carapace that in turn emanates pheromones to attract other oysters into congregating into a bed around it. It is not known how long these these creatures lie dormant, but when conditions are optimal, the pearl finder emerges from hybernation and with its crushing beak, feeds upon the bounty surrounding it. Pearls are gathered and stored in its shell-encrusted carapace, and once mating occurs, (usually within 2-4 weeks), they provide crucial mineral resources to its young which remain inside the carapace through final gestation and shell formation.
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artist: Tom Garden
concept: The Felorian
This thing, is a proud sea creature....so proud.....it finds its pearls on the seabed, felt out with its extended two front feelers. They can glide into the sand and rummage into small crevices to find the pearls it treasures so dearly!
It stores its kept pearls in the bar like jaw, where hidden behind the bars are tiny cleaning equipment, and soft abrasive tongues which slowly erode the pearls, it likes the, and eats them like a lolly!!!!
The many feelers extending above its main body are to make sure that while it is distracted in its hunt for pearls, nothing can sneak up on it from behind, plus they are poisenous.....so divers beware!!!
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artist: Lewis
concept: Pearlostrich
The Pearlostrich is a bird that only lives on the Ku'Kuhl islands. It is there used by natives for finding oysters. This is the Ku'Kuhlian's main foodsource, but also the pearls these oysters provide are being used to form magnificant necklaces.
Scientists still dont know if this ostrich was bred by men, or evoluted this way on its own. The ostrichs live however close to humans, are tame and in the past even used as waranimals. Their lizard-like armor made them excellent mounts.
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Reply With Quote
that's my two. 
You got my vote..gif ";)")
Not a bad pic at all, just some problems to look into.
You're the only person whose creature is finding pearls in a place other than the ocean. As for the picture itself, it is of course very good. Your creature has that pug-like "so ugly that it's cute" quality. I like its antlers and the way you drew the pearls. My only crit is that the creature's coloration could have been richer, somehow. As it is, that pale gray-blue is the only thing I find at fault. Nice job.
Originally Posted by Moai
thnx for noticing, i had that feeling already bout my piece...
Brokk: Nice piece, but suffering in two departments imo. The creature doesnt have real depth going on in the left part of the body. If you made it the creature blend in more with the background, like you did with the hind leg on the right, you would get a less flat look. Another point is that the atom like pupils are hard to make believable. They have highlights which make it look like they really are little balls on top of the eyeball instead of being a part of it.
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