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Bovichthyoceratopsians

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Bovichthyoceratops magnus (top) and ararauna (nee torosus) (bottom), presumably panspermic cowfish/ceratopsian chimerae native to an extrasolar planet virally seeded with gene infusions from terrestrial organisms. I've had a lot of ideas in mind for "fish dinos" lately, some more fish-like and some more dinosaur-like, any or none of which could be related to each other and to other existing xeno- and alternadino lineages such as the Counterdinos and the Taurichthyoceratopsians. I pictured these guys more at the fish end of the spectrum, perhaps even moreso than is evident in these images...Full-body morphology would be similar to orthodox terrestrial ceratopsians (though with McLoughlin-style embedded frills and with a more streamlined body styling), but underlying anatomy and tissue consistency would be more fish-like. I don't feel like the cowfish element came through as strongly as I would have liked, though bottom is probably more successful in that regard. I'm pretty out of practice with watercolors. I'm also pretty sick right now, though I don't suppose that's a legitimate excuse for insufficient fishiness. Let's just say that I've got a fever, and the only thing that can cure it is...more cowfish.

I was kind of fantasizing about the possible cultural and mythological associations for top (B. magnus)...My original image for the coloring was of a marine fish like a California sheepshead, but I started daydreaming about how they might become popular in Japanese culture for their resemblance to oni, Kabuki masks, or koi...Perhaps they would even be called lung, after the larval carp-like form of the classic Chinese dragon. I can't really imagine a cooler future scenario than being able to sit around and watch images beamed back to Earth from exotic alien worlds...Unless it's actually going to those worlds in person.
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PeteriDish's avatar
These are beyond excellent! imho! Is it wrong that it reminds me of coral reef fish? =B