Adult Male
Name: unnamed
Species: Aphotic Leviathan
Birthday: Thursday, August 2, 2018
Owner: zylle
Element: Neutral 
No one is quite sure whether aphotic leviathans and their close relatives the coronate leviathans are fish, reptiles, or some combination of the two, but they're impressive animals regardless. At least, the females are impressive. Serpentine in shape with long, sharp teeth and a brilliant lure on her head, the female aphotic leviathan can reach ten feet or more in length. The male, however, is rounder and typically only about a foot long when fully grown. While both male and female leviathans can deliver a nasty bite and use their lights to disorient prey, the females are by far the more aggressive of the two. The size difference means that a careless male could easily be eaten by a hungry female, so finding a mate is a dangerous affair for the males. They use their lights to charm a potential mate to win her favors, swimming in circles and fluttering their fins as a sort of dance. If he does a satisfactory job, the female will allow her to accompany her for a few days, though he must be careful not to linger too long or he might end up nurturing her eggs as an unintended meal.
The eerie aphotic leviathans are seldom seen at the surface, dwelling hundreds of meters down in the oceans' deepest trenches. Glowing sacs all around their bodies contain tiny organisms -- the same organisms responsible for the light of the Candle Archipelagos waters -- that attract shrimps and other small creatures to them. When something large enough comes along, the leviathans contract and extend their phosphorescent sacs to create pulsating displays of light. The light disorients the larger creature so the leviathan can rush up and swallow it whole. While they're the bane of the deep trenches, the lack of food that far down limits the size of the leviathans, so it's rare to find even a female longer than a few feet. They can still deliver a nasty bite to any deep sea-exploring magi who wanders too close.
Sprite art: Lazuli (adult) | Description: PKGriffin