>>5409409>>5409410>>5409412>>5409413>>5409419>>5409420The Flounder Feeder has developed a new, crude filter organ between its stomach and brain. As water enters a Flounder Feeder’s mouth and gills, it’s shunted into the filter, which “catches” a portion of the mineral content as the rest is cycled out. It then strains “captured” lead and very rarely other heavy metals into a coarse, mostly nontoxic sand, which is then vomited out as it isn’t directly attached to the digestive tract. Its speed is much slower than conventional digestion, it requires a modest amount of nutrients, and the process makes breathing mildly more energy intensive but does slightly reduce metal poisoning and the organ itself shows some future promise. In an unrelated development, sexual selection has caused an uptick in the musculature of the tongue, both male and female, aiding Latcher removal as a side-effect. The Flounder Feeder population grows slightly, leaving its situation less precarious.
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