COMC-401 Lessons

The Krusty Krab

As the class steadily piles in for today’s lesson, Professor Cattercorn is already seated at her desk, focused on grading a stack of quizzes. Next to her desk is a decently sized mahogany table which seems to hold a large box covered with a black cloth. She looks up to acknowledge the class as they get settled in their seats. A hint of excitement can be seen in her eyes as the students pull out their notebooks and wait for the lesson to begin. The professor rises from her desk and with a smile, she begins the lecture.

Hello class, and welcome to the seventh lesson of the year! I can’t believe that the year is almost at an end. Last class period, Professor Anne and I discussed Shrakes and Lobalugs with you. Professor Anne won’t be here for this lesson, so it’s just me today. I have an intriguing creature for you all to learn about this class. I know you are all looking forward to it, so let’s jump right into the lesson.

Mackled Malaclaws: Painful Pinchers

By now, I’m certain you have noticed this container in front of you. What it holds is the creature we will be learning about today. Before I reveal it to you, I will give you a few small details about it. This fascinating creature is a Beast as classified by the Ministry of Magic. It has also been given a rating of XXX, so anyone who has proficient skills should be able to handle this creature out in the wild. Let’s meet the creature, shall we?

Professor Cattercorn points her wand in the direction of the box, causing the black cloth to fly off and land onto the floor. A rather large terrarium is revealed; it holds several rocks of many shapes and sizes, a few plants, water, and a food dish that appears to have been emptied recently. Additionally, there are two lobster-like creatures of the same species looking out through the glass. Several students lean forward, trying to get a better observation of what’s inside.

These creatures are called Mackled Malaclaws. At first glance, they appear to be just mundane lobsters, but a closer look will prove that assumption to be incorrect. I will have my PAs pass them around so that you can all get a better look. Do not fret; they are domesticated and they are used to being handled. However, I do not want any undesired accidents, so the necessary precautions must be taken. If you have them with you, take out your dragonhide gloves. If you don’t happen to have your pair with you today, I have some spares at the back of the classroom that you can borrow, but remember to return them before you leave today. You will notice that I have bound their claws, as they like to pinch. However, it is the bite you will want to watch out for. Why? Well, I’ll get to that in just a moment.

As you can see, Mackled Malaclaws are a pale grey color, with noticeable emerald green spots. These beasts are saxicolous, meaning that they prefer living in rocky terrains, particularly on the coasts of Europe. Mackled Malaclaws normally seek their shelter in cracks in the ground, or they will burrow in the rocks.

Diet

The Mackled Malaclaw has a diet that consists mostly of crustaceans. They will eat barnacles, krill, and shrimp, but they prefer to hunt for larger prey such as crabs and even lobsters. Although Mackled Malaclaws are terrestrial, they will get in the water solely for the purpose of gathering food. These beasts possess a special kind of protein which allows them to stay underwater for a prolonged amount of time. Myoglobin, an oxygen-binding protein, is collected in their muscles. When the Mackled Malaclaws swim into the water, they have a more expansive stock of oxygen that they can use while underwater.

The Danger

You seem a bit worried! Is it about the comment I made regarding the Mackled Malaclaw’s bite? As I mentioned earlier, the creatures you have observed today are not as vicious as a Mackled Malaclaw you can find in the wild, so you are all safe. However, should you ever come across one in the wild, be on your guard! They do have a painful pinch, but biting is their main source of defense as it always has the best results. When bitten by a Mackled Malaclaw it is not the pain, but the effects, that should concern you. The bite will cause the person in question to have bad luck for three to seven days. There is no cure; you simply must wait until the venom has run its course. If you have made any bets or planned any sort of risky events, it is highly recommended that you call them all off as nothing will play out in your favor. The bite is so serious that soldiers at war have even sent Mackled Malaclaws to their foes in an attempt to bestow bad luck on them during battles. It has also been implied that those who make a career out of gambling have been researching different parts of the Mackled Malaclaw in an attempt to create a potion that will cause bad luck in the drinker (a reverse Felix Felicis if you will).

Anyone Hungry?

I know what you all are thinking, so here I am to answer the important questions! The Mackled Malaclaw, although it looks like a very appetizing lobster, is not safe to eat. Eating one will cause you to develop an awful fever. After eating the creature, the symptoms will take two to four hours to appear. You may experience fatigue, sweating, chills, and a headache. Along with this fever, you will also have an unsightly green and blotchy rash which rots the flesh. Depending on how much you ate, the conditions will be much more severe. If you ate, say, the entire thing, the shade of the green rash would be much more vibrant and it would also take a longer time for it to fade. The sickness will go away on its own, however, you may wish to consult a healer in more severe cases. You will likely be prescribed a topical cream for the rash. Please always consult a healer if your fever is 104° F (40° C)  or higher.

Reproduction & Lifespan

Mackled Malaclaw reproduction is a curious thing. Males can only mate with a female after she has molted. This is because after a molting, the female releases pheromones which let male Mackled Malaclaws know that she is ready to mate. Males who are interested in the same female will be aggressive to each other and sometimes they will even fight for her. After the two mate, the female will store the male’s sperm for up to a year. When she is ready, she will release her eggs (10 to 25, depending on her age) which will be fertilized by the stored sperm. She will carry the eggs herself, on the underside of her tail, where they will gestate for ten months. The female’s tail is actually much wider than their male counterparts, solely for the purpose of reproduction.

After the eggs have hatched, the Mackled Malaclaw offspring will be only larvae. They will not begin to look like Mackled Malaclaws until they have molted at least three times. Until they reach this stage, they are protected by their mother in crevices in the ground. After they have grown out of the larval stage, they leave their nest.

Mackled Malaclaws live fairly long lives, with males reaching an average of thirty years and fifty years for females. For the first five years of its life, a Mackled Malaclaw will molt, or shed its shell, up to 25 times. A larva will have its first molting when it is just three to four months old. As it reaches adulthood, the amount of times it molts decreases significantly. An adult Mackled Malaclaw will molt one to two times a year. These beasts can grow as long as twelve inches (about thirty centimeters). As they reach the end of their lives, they will stop molting altogether, meaning that their shell becomes damaged or infected until eventually, it deteriorates and the creature dies.

Closing

That’s all the time we have for today, class. If you borrowed gloves from me, please make sure you put them back. For your assignments this week, I’m going to go easy on you. All you have to complete is a short quiz. Professor Anne will see you all next time, and we will both be back during finals week. Have a good day, everyone!

Lesson content written by Professor Aurelia Cattercorn

All pictures are found using the Google Images search engine, and belong to their owners.