Sea cat
Sea cats, also called sea lions, sea tigers, and sea leopards, are aquatic cat-like creatures found primarily in warm seas. They resemble large felines, usually spotted or striped, with powerful fishlike tails replacing their hind legs in a manner similar to merfolk. Their entire bodies are covered in fine scales, and they sport several fins on both their fishlike and catlike portions, in addition to barbels around their chins and mouths.1 A male sea cat in charge of a pride is called a bull, while a solitary male is called a stag.2
Sea cats are difficult to tame, due to their being relatively unintelligent and highly aggressive, but some successful attempts have been made.1 Some aquatic elves are able to train them as guardians and pets, provided that the sea cats are caught as cubs.2
Ecology
Sea cats are primarily warm-climate animals and are most often found in seas and oceans, although they can also live in freshwater and in temperate waters. Their environment often determines the details of their appearance: sea cats native to coral reefs or highly vegetated areas often have more boldly patterned coats in shades of purple, red, orange and yellow, while those native to more barren waters tend to have less vivid, mottled coats.12
They chiefly hunt prey such as fish, crustaceans and seals, but have been known to attack other aquatic predators such as crocodiles and sharks, as well as humanoids and small boats.123
Sea cats live in prides of up to fifteen members, led by a single bull. Males and females mate after a violent courtship fight; afterwards, females temporarily leave the pride to give birth to litters of up to six cubs, which they rear until maturity and thereafter abandon. The young sea cats then either join their mother's pride or strike out to form a new pride of their own.2
On Golarion
Sea cats live in the eastern reaches of the Castrovin Sea, where in the summer large prides can be seen sunning themselves on beaches and rock formations.3
In the Great Beyond
Sea cats are among the predators native to the Jungle of Worms in the Plane of Water, where they prowl among the coral polyps for prey.4
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 . Bestiary 4, 233. Paizo Inc., 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 . “Bestiary” in Raiders of the Fever Sea, 86–87. Paizo Inc., 2012
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 . “Golarion's Seas” in Aquatic Adventures, 24–27. Paizo Inc., 2017
- ↑ . “Oceans of Golarion” in Raiders of the Fever Sea, 69. Paizo Inc., 2012