• The water world of New California is famous for the wide range of medicines which the
abundant ocean life provide. The World is devoid of advanced life forms, with no natural
vertebrate forms. Evolution appears to have pursued a similar route as on Earth, with plants and
simple life developing in the oceans, but the most advanced species are equivalent to the
terrestrial echinoderms. Despite the unsophisticated anatomy of the animals, the ocean teems with
life and it yields an abundant harvest for the farming communities which now inhabit the world.
• The life forms of New California may lack sophistication, but a huge variety of
developments have occurred in the benign environment of the hot ocean. On Earth, some of
the most potent poisons known to mankind are found in the jellyfish, and this is true of
Liaququ's planet as well. Early settlers fell easy prey to the local creammis floaters and flying
drevis froms with their potent nerve toxins. Even nowadays, the fish farmers have to beware
of the swarming migration patterns of whip slimes.
• The deadly venom of many of the species of New California have spawned a thriving
pharmaceutical trade. The factory and laboratory ships of major interstellar drug companies keep
track of the ocean currents and harvest a rich variety of natural drugs and medications. They also
serve to notify the resident fisheries of unexpected concentrations of dangerous fauna.
• Many varieties of aquatic life from Earth and other worlds have been introduced to the
oceans of New California. Local environmental lobbies have made no progress at limiting the
import of foreign life forms. In many cases the introductions have been unsuccessful and
several ambitious commercial farming ventures have come to nothing. The dolphins and killer
whales of Earth, and the barabous and inqoqo of Cemiess have done particularly well, but are not
commercially exploited due to their recognised intelligence levels. The most successful
commercial fish crop is the stinger of Facece which is the local staple food and a valuable export.
• The largest predator on New California is a species of eleven limbed starfish known as
Godzilla, a historical reference of uncertain origin. The naturalist and environmental lobbyist
M'harma Dennet has captured on film the remarkable fight between a godzilla and a sperm
whale following the battle in an aircraft and finally diving into the ocean to catch the final
moments as the godzilla dispatched the giant mammal. The film has won several awards,
including the prestigious DIGMA bronze star.
Entry by David Massey
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