The nalutsa is a six-gilled behemoth that lives in the coastal regions of the Pandoran ocean, and can be seen leaping out of the near-shore waters. The nalutsa is the tamer and less elusive cousin of the akula.
Anatomy and Behavior[]
Reaching up to 40 meters (131 feet) in length, it is a hyper-carnivorous species and can be likened to a gigantic version of Earth's Dunkleosteus or predatory sharks. While its hunting strategy is to leap out of the water to catch flying animals it is more similar to that of Earth's carnivorous fish such as the great white shark.
Massive and armored, with no visible dorsal fin, nalutsa have two sets of humpback whale-like shaped flippers, and a long tail ending in jagged and flared flukes. A massive but relatively short set of jaws contain sword-length teeth for rending and tearing prey, but its head is relatively small compared to its total body length. With a plated exoskeleton - a nalutsa’s body is not dissimilar to the shell of a turtle.
Unlike Earth's blue whales, the nalutsa is able to leap out high and target flying animals, most notably within shallow waters. This is likely due to Pandora's atmosphere and gravity and its influence on the ocean waters.
The birthing and parenting behaviors of the nalutsa are similar to orcas; a female was seen teaching her offspring how to breach at the end of Flight of Passage.
Size[]
Due to its size, Nalutsa is one of the most "bizarre" of Pandoran species; aside from shonisaurus and shastasaurus whose feeding strategies are still debated, most of Earth's larger marine vertebrates, including baleen whales and filter-feeding sharks, sustain their bodies by feeding on zooplankton, copepods, benthos, and smaller fish. The nalutsa, however, inhabits shallow and coastal waters, and possess neither baleen nor specialized teeth for filter feeding, and instead catch large flying creatures above the water. It is unclear how the nalutsa sustains its size this way.
Trivia[]
Possibly nalutsa
- They may have appeared in Avatar: The Way of Water when the Sully family is flying to Awa'atlu, but it is difficult to tell and the creatures in the water seem to have larger fins. The Pandorapedia entry does not mention The Way of Water under appearances.
Sources[]
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