Giant catfish were naturally occurring mutations of the ordinary catfish.[1]
Description[]
These giant fish were often of chalky-white coloration[3] or grayish brown.[1] Their sizes usually varied from 15 feet (4.6 meters) for the white-colored breed[3] to 24 feet (7.3 meters) for the brown.[1]
Behavior[]
These creatures were known to display aggressive behavior and thus they would often and attempt to swallow any creature that was suitably small enough despite their usual diet. Because of this, they often posed a threat to races of short statue, such as dwarves, gnomes, and halflings.[4]
Biology[]
Like their normal-sized cousins, giant catfish had many spiny, long tentacle-like feelers on each side of their mouths.[1][4] Some referred to these as "whiskers." The whiskers on giant catfish secreted a strong toxin poison.[1][4]
Combat[]
When hunting or provoked into combat, a catfish immediately went for a bite or attempted to swallow it whole if possible. They sometimes used their feelers as weapons by whipping their heads back and forth[1] or side to side.[4]
History[]
Giant catfish were sometimes used for towing boats in the Sea of Fallen Stars.[6]
Around 1396 DR, giant catfish were often tamed by the kuo-toa of the Sea of Fallen Stars, as evidenced by the gargantuan nautilus shell carriage pulled by giant catfish that belonged to Nogah, the senior whip of Blibdoolpoolp.[5]
Sub-Species[]
An underground type of giant catfish that lived in the tunnels of the Underdark. In instances when this species made its way to the surface, they became top predators of the surrounding area.[7]
Ecology[]
Due to being territorial, giant catfish were often encountered alone, although groups weren't unheard of.[1] They were hunted by boobries.[8]
Diet[]
Giant catfish were resilient omnivores whose diet was primarily bottom-feeding scavenging. Because of these dietary habits, giant catfish needed a large area in order to find enough food to survive.[1]
Habitats[]
Giant catfish were commonly found living in large rivers, or lakes that such rivers fed into, in climates that ranged from tropical to temperate.[4] They typically dwelled within the cool dark muck of such aquatic environments.[3]
In Faerûn they were particularly known to be encountered in the Moonsea lake,[9] the River Ashaba of Cormanthor,[10][11] the Highstar Lake of the High Moor,[12] and Dragon Reach.[11]
Beyond Faerûn, giant catfish could be found in temperate, tropical, and sub-tropical bodies of freshwater in Kara-Tur.[13] Such as in the rivers of Akari island.[14]
Appendix[]
Notes[]
- ↑ The 2nd edition alignment given in the original source is "Nil", which should be read as Neutral according to this Sage Advice answer by Skip Williams in Dragon Magazine Issue #155: "The nil alignment rating is a holdover from an early draft of the Monstrous Compendium material. Originally, a rating of nil indicated that a creature was not intelligent enough to have an alignment at all. However, the nil rating was dropped during rewriting and should have been replaced with the neutral alignment."
Appearances[]
External Links[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 David "Zeb" Cook, et al. (1989). Monstrous Compendium Volume Two. (TSR, Inc), p. 44. ISBN 0-8803-8753-X.
- ↑ Skip Williams (March 1990). “Sage Advice”. In Roger E. Moore ed. Dragon #155 (TSR, Inc.), p. 86.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Merle M. Rasmussen (1984). Quagmire!. (TSR).
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Gary Gygax (August 1983). Monster Manual II 1st edition. (TSR, Inc), p. 23. ISBN 0-88038-031-4.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Bruce R. Cordell (2008). Plague of Spells. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 17. ISBN 978-0786949656.
- ↑ Curtis Scott (March 1992). Pirates of the Fallen Stars. (TSR, Inc), p. 93. ISBN 978-1560763208.
- ↑ Gregory W. Detwiler (January 2000). “The Dragon's Bestiary: Designing Dungeon Monsters”. In Dave Gross ed. Dragon #267 (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 62–66.
- ↑ David Cook (1991). Monstrous Compendium Forgotten Realms Appendix (MC11). (TSR, Inc). ISBN l-56076-111-3.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb and George MacDonald (April 1989). Curse of the Azure Bonds. (TSR, Inc.), p. 93. ISBN 978-0880386067.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (March 1993). “Campaign Guide to Myth Drannor”. In Newton H. Ewell ed. The Ruins of Myth Drannor (TSR, Inc.), p. 12. ISBN 1-5607-6569-0.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 Random encounters table included in Ed Greenwood (1989). Tantras (adventure). (TSR, Inc). ISBN 0-88038-739-4.
- ↑ Donald J. Bingle (April 1995). “Encounter Tables”. In Elizabeth T. Danforth ed. Elminster's Ecologies Appendix I (TSR, Inc), p. 4. ISBN 0-7869-0115-2.
- ↑ Gary Gygax, David Cook, and François Marcela-Froideval (1985). Oriental Adventures. (TSR, Inc), pp. 114–115. ISBN 0-8803-8099-3.
- ↑ Jeff Grubb (1987). Ochimo: The Spirit Warrior. (TSR, Inc), p. 16. ISBN 0-88038-393-3.