Ascallion

Ascallions, also known as scallions, were nomadic predatory fish that inhabited the warm and temperate oceans of Faerûn.

Description
Ascallions had a fearsome appearance, with prominent, sharp-edged, fang-like teeth. Adult female ascallions could grow up to 18 feet long, while adult male ascallions grew to about 8 feet in length. The female had a dark gray or black dorsal surface, and the male had a uniform color ranging from charcoal grey to black. Due to this coloring, male ascallions were also called "shadows". Young ascallions were usually up to 1 foot in length and light grey in appearance.

Combat
Female ascallions would hunt with their young. The young would be concealed in the mouth of the ascallion, and upon sighting prey, the female would open her mouth so the young could attack. The female would let the young kill the prey, and consume the remains after the young had their fill. The female would only assist if the prey proved to be too much of a challenge for the young.

The jaws of the female ascallion were incredibly powerful, with reports that they could easily pierce or splinter the hulls of small fishing boats. Unlike other ocean predators, ascallions did not hunt by sensing vibrations in the water, instead relying only on their senses of sight and smell. This was a result of their centralized nervous system, which also limited their sense of touch and made them feel little to no pain. They were also immune to mental attacks and paralysis attacks.

Ecology
Ascallions considered every other lifeform in the water potential prey. Sharks were known to avoid areas occupied by ascallions. Ascallions favored octupi above all other prey, and would abandon an attack if it sensed an octupi nearby. Ascallions could not live in fresh water, but were known to occasionally swim into coastal rivers for brief periods of time. Ascallions spawned only rarely, and the female would raise and protect the young. The young lived in their mother's mouth until maturity, when they would attack and eat their way out of their mothers mouth before dispersing.

Reputation
Ascallions were considered a menace by many fishermen, and were generally feared and respected by aquatic and coastal communities.