THE 11 SPECIES — the evolution ladder
Every species merges with its twin to become the next one up. Radius grows with tier; the giants (Manta, Leviathan, Whale) read a little larger and hunt the small.
The ladder
| Tier | Species | Role in the reef |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | Fry | The starter spark. Nervous shoal; spawns freely and drifts. |
| 1 | Neon Tetra | Darting shoal fish, quick and skittish. |
| 2 | Clownfish | Home-body — hovers and guards its patch. |
| 3 | Angelfish | Graceful mid-water drifter. |
| 4 | Pufferfish | Slow, with sudden startle-darts. |
| 5 | Lionfish | A prowling hunter — the first real predator. |
| 6 | Koi Dragon | Circling, sinuous swimmer. |
| 7 | Anglerfish | Bottom lurker with an ambush lunge; devours small fry. |
| 8 | Manta Ray | Relentless wide-sweeping hunter of tiers 1–5. |
| 9 | Leviathan | Apex serpentine hunter. Raise two to win. |
| 10 | Cosmic Whale | The legend. Summoned by merging two Leviathans — the victory. |
Predation
Giants eat much smaller fish (a gap of 3+ tiers). The Manta Ray and Leviathan hunt only tiers 1–5, and each has a short "full belly" cooldown between kills. The Anglerfish ambush-lunges and devours the first two species (Fry and Neon Tetra) with a devouring roar. Surviving the predators while you climb is the road to the Leviathan.
Reading the field
- Fish face where they swim and swing their tails; each carries a per-fish persona (bold, social, energy, curious, deep, jittery, vigilant) that biases — never overrides — its species behavior.
- Two depth planes give the reef a sense of space; fish cross between them and are z-ordered and depth-cued so the tank feels three-dimensional.
- Tiers 5+ glow more strongly, peaking at the Cosmic Whale.
The finale
Merging tier 9 + tier 9 → the Cosmic Whale (tier 10, MAX). This triggers the victory sequence: the crowned whale (in its actual mutation colour) on the win card, a triumphant fanfare, a golden celebration in the reef, and the "YOU WON!" reset menu. See Art & VFX and Audio Bible.