Venuspinex

Venuspinex is a large Leviathan that lives in warm and tropical oceans, famous for the large spikes on its back.

It is one of the Flagship-Monsters of ???

Physiology
Venuspinex is a large Leviathans, that resembles Lagiacrus in Size and body shape. Venuspinex has silvery scales and a black stripe running down its back, which splits into smaller stripes that run down its sides. The most notable feature of Venuspinex are the large spines growing from its backside, which are dripping with deadly poison. Albeit Venuspinex’ jaws are shorter than those of other Leviathans, they are very strong. Venuspinex has relatively small feet, that, although slowing it down on land, give it the ability to dig in the muddy ocean floor, where it hides to hunt. Its tail ends in a shark-like fin.

Behavior
Venuspinex are elusive creatures that roam the depths of the ocean, only travelling to more shallow waters to mate and breed. Their size and intimidating appearance is enough to scare off most aggressors. When attacked, Venuspinex throws itself into its opponent, wounding them with its spikes and poisoning them as well.

Placement in Food Chain
Venuspinex takes a high position in the aquatic Food Chain and will feed on most smaller creatures. It has the ability to open its jaw extremely wide, enabling it to swallow most of its victims whole. When Venuspinex takes down prey, that is too big to be swallowed whole, it will rip chunks of meat off of it, by latching onto it with its powerful jaws and then rapidly spinning. Venuspinex has no natural predators, but competes with other Leviathans like Lagiacrus.

Behavior towards other Monsters
Venuspinex ignores smaller creatures unless provoked. When an equally large or larger Monster enters its territory, the Venuspinex will attack on sight, using its tail, jaws and poisonous spikes. When severely wounded, Venuspinex will cover itself in a cloud of poisonous fog and/or turn itself invisible, before swimming away.

Tracks
Venuspinex leaves various different tracks behind. These include Small Footprints, Dig Marks and Scales, that can be found on the ground as well as Claw Marks and Poison that can be found on the ground and walls.

Specific Locale Interactions
Venuspinex does not have Specific Locale Interactions

Special Behaviors
Venuspinex does not have Special Behaviors

Abilities
Unlike most other Leviathans, Venuspinex focuses on Physical Damage and heavy hits. It rarely spits poison, and even more rarely, blasts of water,but prefers using its tail, spines and jaws to attack instead. While being rather slow on land, Venuspinex is surprisingly quick in the water.

Rage and Tired States

 * Enraged State: Poison starts dripping from its Spikes, it uses more Elemental Attacks and gets faster and more aggressive.
 * Tired State: Gets slower and will start searching for deep water. It starts drooling and drags its tail over the ground.

Mounts
Venuspinex has the same mount animation as Agnaktor, Lagiacrus and Mizutsune. It can be mounted on its head, back and tail.
 * When Venuspinex is mounted on its head, the hunter is located at the transition from its head to its neck. The Venuspinex will try to get the Hunter off by violently shaking its neck, dragging its head over the floor, smashing it into walls and running/swimming around.


 * When mounted on its back, the hunter is located in between the Venuspinex’ largest spines. The Venuspinex will try to get the hunter off by shaking violently, smashing its body into the wall and running/swimming around.


 * When mounted on its tail, the hunter is located at the transition from its tailfin to its tail. The Venuspinex will try to get the Hunter off by violently shaking its tail, smashing its tail into the ground or walls and running/swimming around.

Taxonomy
Venuspinex is in the same biological family as Lagiacrus and Mizutsune, due to living in close proximity and in water. However, it is in its own Subfamily, the Thorned Leviathans, that it only shares with its Subspecies.
 * Kingdom: Animalia
 * Phylum: Chordata
 * Class: Reptilia
 * Superorder: Sauropterygia
 * Order: Leviathans
 * Family: Sea Leviathans
 * Subfamily: Thorned Leviathans
 * Genus: Spinorursus
 * Species: Spinorursus Toxicus

Habitat Range
Venuspinex can be found in a variety of areas. It mainly lives in the deep water, but sometimes comes up to land, mate, breed and rarely even feed. In the Old World, they can be found in Oceanic Areas like the Deserted Island and the Flooded Forest and the Ancient Forest of the New World.

Ecological Niche
Venuspinex occupy a high spot in the food chain, preying upon most smaller creatures. The main prey of Venuspinex consists of Epioth and Ludroth, while also occasionally preying on creatures drinking on the water’s edge, like Aptonoth. It takes on larger monsters, like Plesioth and young Lagiacrus, by spitting poison and attacking them with its tail and jaws. It will basically feed on everything it can find. Due to its size and poisonous spines, it does not have any natural predators.

Biological Adaptations
Venuspinex are adapted to hunting in and close to water. This is made obvious by its large tailfin, small, fin-like feet and aerodynamic build. Venuspinex is one of the very few Leviathans that use Poison, which make it one of the most unique aquatic predators.

Behavior
Venuspinex are elusive Leviathans that prefer living a solitary Lifestyle. They travel to the nearest coasts to mate, where the Females will stay for around 7 months, lay their eggs and the go back into the water. They only attack when they are hungry or when they are provoked. Unlike most other poisonous monsters, Venuspinex prefers using its Poison to defend itself, rather than killing its prey.

Roar
To be added

Theme
To be added

Normal

 * Roar: Venuspinex roars
 * Claw Attack: Venuspinex swipes its left claw at the hunter
 * Tail Swipe: Venuspinex swipes in both directions behind with its tail, knocking the hunter away
 * Belly Flop: Venuspinex slams its body into the ground, knocking the hunter away and causing tremors
 * Body Slam: Venuspinex slams the side of  its body into the hunter, knocking them away
 * Head Smash: Venuspinex slams its jaws into the hunter
 * Double Bite: Venuspinex bites the hunter twice
 * Triple Bite: Venuspinex bites the hunter thrice
 * Bite, Tail Smash and Coil: Venuspinex bites the Hunter before coiling itself around them, similar to Lagiacrus
 * Poisonous Bite: Venuspinex bites the hunter, poisoning them
 * Poisonous Ball: Venuspinex spits a ball at the hunter
 * Roll (Land-Exclusive): Venuspinex rolls over the hunter
 * Poisonous Roll (Land-Exclusive): Venuspinex rolls over the hunter, poisoning them
 * Barrel Roll (Water Exclusive): Venuspinex rolls towards the hunter, pushing them away
 * Aquatic Body Slam (Water Exclusive): Venuspinex throws itself into the Hunter
 * Aquatic Poisonous Body Slam (Water Exclusive): Venuspinex throws itself into the Hunter, poisoning them

Enraged

 * Poisonous Claw Swipe: Venuspinex swipes its right claw at the hunter, poisoning them
 * Poisonous Body Slam: Venuspinex slams its body into the hunter, poisoning them
 * Poisonous Meteor: Venuspinex shoots a giant ball of poison at the hunter, poisoning them
 * Poisonous Head Smash: Venuspinex slams its jaws into the hunter, poisoning them
 * Poisonous Double Bite: Venuspinex bites the hunter twice, poisoning them
 * Poisonous Triple Bite: Venuspinex bites the hunter thrice, poisoning them
 * Poisonous Triple Ball: Venuspinex spits three balls of Poison at the hunter
 * Lunge (Land Exclusive): Venuspinex lunges towards the hunter
 * Poisonous Ram  (Land Exclusive): Venuspinex rushes towards a hunter, spitting balls of poison on both sides. If it collides with a hunter, they get send flying
 * Poisonous Barrel Roll (Water Exclusive): Venuspinex rolls towards the hunter, poisoning them and pushing them away

Normal

 * Double Head Smash: Venuspinex slams its jaws into the hunter twice
 * Poisonous Tail Slam: Venuspinex spits a puddle of poison at the ground, then swipes its tail into both directions, throwing the hunter away and poisoning them.
 * Poison Rain: Venuspinex spits Five Balls of Poison at the Hunter
 * Slide (Land Exclusive): Venuspinex slides towards the hunter, sending them flying
 * Whirlpool (Water Exclusive): Venuspinex quickly swims around the hunter in circles, leaving them stunned, before swimming beneath them and shooting upwards, throwing them away

Enraged

 * Poisonous Bomb: Venuspinex charges for a few moments, as its spikes start glowing in a purplish hue, before firing a giant ball of poison at the hunter
 * Poisonous Beam: Venuspinex fires a beam of poison at the hunter, while its spikes glow in purple.
 * Poisonous Slide (Land Exclusive): Venuspinex spits a puddle of Poison onto the ground, before sliding towards the hunter. Upon contact, the hunter gets poisoned and is send flying
 * Poisonous Whirlpool: Venuspinex quickly swims around the hunter in circles, leaving them stunned, before swimming beneath them and then ramming into them with its spikes, poisoning them.

Normal
Enraged
 * Poisonous Bullet: Venuspinex quickly fires a ball of Poison at the hunter
 * Turning Poisonous Beam: Venuspinex fires a beam of poison at the hunter, while slowly turning around, covering even more ground
 * Poisonous Strike (Water Exclusive): Venuspinex spits poisonous fog into the water and swims through it, poisoning the hunter upon impact.
 * Poisonous Cloud: Venuspinex spits a cloud of Poison around it
 * Poisonous Laser: Venuspinex spits a beam of poison and slowly approaches the hunter. When close enough, it attacks with a fast bite.


 * Poisonous Bullet Rain: Venuspinex fires ten quick poisonous Balls at the hunter.

Breakable Parts

 * Jaws
 * Claws
 * Spikes
 * Underside
 * Tail

Shiny Item Drops

 * Monster Parts Icon Blue.png Wyvern Tear
 * Monster Parts Icon Blue.png Wyvern Tear

Material Drops

 * Scale Icon Grey.png Venuspinex Scale
 * Medicine Icon Purple.png Venuspinex Poison

Slinger Drops
Venuspinex Drops Pierce Pods

Armor
Resistances: 20 Water, 10 Ice, -20 Thunder, -10 Fire, -10 Dragon, 10 Earth, 10 Wind, -10 Nature

Trivia

 * Venuspinex' Name is a combination of the Latin Words "venenum" Meaning "Poison" and "Spinam" Meaning "Thorn" or "Spine"
 * Venuspinex is based on Stonefish, a poisonous Species of Fish that hides on the Ocean Floor while hunting
 * It also takes Inspiration from Crocodiles, Monitor Lizards, Various Marine Reptiles and Moray Eels.
 * Venuspinex' Japanese Name Dokusazuru is a combination of the Japanese Word "Dokusei" Meaning "Poisonous", "Sashimasu" Meaning "Spike", "Mizu" Meaning "Water" and "Ryu" Meaning "Dragon"
 * Venuspinex is one of the Four Flagships of ???