Democratic Socialist Assembly

My name is Dr. Esteban Julio Ricardo Montoyo de la Rosario Ramirez. I am a cryptozoologist who has been traveling around the world for years, seeking to find out the mysteries of our world. After much time of research, cold nights, and wet socks, I have come out with a report on what I call The Ghoul Fish.

Ghoul Fish

Anatomy and Physiology

The Ghoul Fish, also known as the Zombie Fish, Death Squid, and Death Star Fish, is quite a remarkable specimen. The Ghoul Fish is radially symmetric, can consist of 4 to 8 arms, and their average size can range from 0.3 meters up to a full meter. While they may look like a starfish, they act more like an octopus in function. They have no bones but rather a hydrostatic skeleton that moves based on fluid pressure. They can alter their skin to create small air pockets that can act like suction cups and allow them to stick to surfaces. They are translucent, giving their skin a glassy look. Each arm has a venomous gland that can incapacitate prey.

Distribution

I have found them to be able to survive in many latitudes, from the equator up to the polar latitudes, but not beyond. They are most plentiful in tropical waters.

So far they sound more like a ghost than a ghoul, so why are they referred to as a Ghoul Fish? Because of the gruesome way they survive.

Behavior and Feeding

The Ghoul Fish is a carnivorous scavenger and parasite. For food they can either hunt down smaller animals like crabs or scavenge for already dead animals. That's the carnivorous scavenger side. The parasitic side is much more gruesome. The Ghoul Fish can be easy prey for larger animals and as such the Ghoul Fish seeks to protect itself. If the Ghoul Fish finds a significantly large enough organism with an exoskeleton, usually shellfish, the Ghoul Fish will force its way into the other fish. It will eat the shellfish from the inside, killing it in the process. One the shell had been hollowed out enough, the Ghoul Fish will climb inside and use the exoskeleton as protection for itself. The shellfish does not have to be alive for them to do this, however. I've seen a Ghoul Fish find the skeleton of another animal to use for protection. They will either wrap themselves around the skeleton or dig their way into the bones which can look like a walking skeleton.

While the Ghoul Fish usually does this with shellfish, they can also do this with animals without an exoskeleton, though not as often. If the animal is healthy enough and large enough, the Ghoul Fish can use them for protection as well. These kinds of invasion are by far the most disturbing kinds I have seen. They will latch on to their prey. If they can easily access a orifice, like a mouth, nostril, or anus, they will enter through there. However, if one cannot be easily accessed, they will burrow into the side of the animal. They will begin to either eat away at the organism or almost dig out the organism to make room inside. They will find the main limbs of the organism and move their tentacles into those limbs to have access to them. Once fully inside, they can move the organism around. However, not so well. The organism serves more for protection and as a food source than for movement. Sometimes these organisms can be used as a nest to lay eggs inside.

During this process, the organism will be in excruciating pain, wailing around, screaming, attempting all it can to rid the Ghoul Fish from their body. The environment can become very bloody very quickly, usually with the Ghoul Fish winning the fight. After some time, once the organism has decayed too much to be suitable to live in, the Ghoul Fish will leave the dead organism in pursuit of a better host.

I have found that the Ghoul Fish will become most active in the autumn months, feeling the colder weather approaching and seeking a host before winter arrives.

Varitations

Of my studies of this creature, I have found they come in 3 varieties; the Ghoul Treader, the Tidal Ghoul, and the Shore Ghoul.

Ghoul Treader

The Ghoul Treader lives entirely on the ocean floor. These Ghoul Fish prefer shellfish to non-shellfish and will rarely seek out non-shellfish. However, the Ghoul Treader is the most deadly variation of Ghoul Fish. Their venom is more paralyzing and lethal and they have bioluminescence. They use their light to attract organisms to prey on. When inside of another organism, they can use their bioluminescence to attract the predators of that organism in an attempt to enter the predator.

Tidal Ghoul

The Tidal Ghoul live close to or at the shore. They are the smallest in size of the variations with their average size being 0.3-0.4 meters. However, the Tidal Ghoul, compared to other Ghoul Fish, are more social and live in groups that better their survival, resulting in the Tidal Ghoul being the most common type of Ghoul Fish. The Tidal Ghoul, when in a pack, are more likely to go after non-shellfish animals, with multiple Tidal Ghouls inhabiting an organism at the same time, controlling different parts of the organism.

Shore Ghoul

This is the most unique of the variations in that the Shore Ghoul is an amphibious fish, where as they can venture onto land. These are the largest of the Ghoul Fish I have seen, with average size being 0.6-0.8 meters. Like the Tidal Ghoul, they live close to or at the shore, but they can also venture onto land. The longest I have seen one on land is 1 1/2 days without a host. However, with a host, they can stay on land as long as the host is still viable and moist. While they can venture onto land, they thrive best in the water. The Shore Ghoul is able to invade land animals like sea animals.

Human Interaction

Some human tribes have known about the Shore Ghoul for a long time, one tribe I have found uses them as a punishment for horrible crimes. They will throw the criminal into a dug out pit with water and Shore Ghouls in them. The Shore Ghouls will invade the criminal in a horrific sight of pain and terror. By the end, the water is blood red and the criminal will twitch from the movement of the Shore Ghouls inside. While I have only seen one use of them on a person, the villagers have told me that the Shore Ghouls will sometimes be able to make the person move in a stumbling manner, a sight that I do not wish to see.

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http://congress.dsagov.org/thread/4/charter-democratic-socialist-assembly

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The final step is to actually apply for congress. Just fill out the form at the following link and our Secretary General (the person in charge of letting people into Congress) will see if you're good as soon as they can.

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