Years back, I made a race of creatures based off both my adoration for sea life and creating new species. Here it is, a repost of the original description of the Nyte:
The Nyte are essentially aquatic mammals that live among clans near the shores of the ocean, mostly around shores with scattered islands closeby. Native mainly to the oceans and beaches, and settle within nearby caves or build their own houses with the land. Decendant from deep sea ancestors, they still hold bio-luminescense within the water, where their fur and eyes tend to glow in the dark, making them easy to spot within the dark waters. Nyte eyes tend to have dark colored pupils, varying ranges of all kinds of colors but surrounded with a silver colored iris.
All Nyte have the same tail, which is large, flat, and very strong and flexible. It can be used as their only defense at times, and helps them while swimming, giving them more speed. Overall, they move through the water like otters. Fur patterns can vary, but most Nyte have rings surrounding their arms, near the shoulders, as well as on their legs, either near the upper thigh or the ankles. Their hands also can vary, but mostly carry more circles or "spots" on their knuckles and on the base of their hand. All Nyte have light colored palms. As for fur colors, they mostly consist of cools, ranging from blues to greens dark and light. However there have been instances of yellows, reds to purples. Though sometimes more common than not, Nyte can range to all types of colors. Though it's noted that only females and herms can be yellow/orange in color. Across their backs, their fur color becomes darker. Their head furr is very short, but has been known to grow longer as they age, which also varies. In these cases, some Nyte like to give themselves particular hairstyles, and even may baid them and cover them in beads.
Females and Males are very different in several ways in terms of body type and the number of spots upon their large flattened tails. The number of spots usually determines their body type and status at birth, It is commonly known that females only get from two, or five spots when they're born, while males can get from four, five spots or just a single spot. Males with one spot are the most common, they tend to have lean builds, Females with two spots are the most common for their sex. As females with two spots have average builds, their size can sometimes be faultered, making their height short even as they age. Males and Females with five spots can be larger, more muscular, or even chubby as they age, making them the stronger types. Males with four spots are very thin as they age, making them perfect for speedy swimming, these types are often best as fishermen. Despite all this, it is impossible for males to have two spots, while it's impossible for females to get only one spot or even four, there has yet to be any of the other type born to prove it. Every so often however, there is a case of being a three spotted type, and they are often connected to royalty and become leaders that are very highly respected, but they are very rare.
Nyte as well, often have special cases involving two "tentacle" like muscles that grow from the back of their shoulders, but they often can't determine when this "special" addition occurs until near pre-maturity. These tentacles are densely covered in furr, and have a small "spike" that can extract from the tip if a Nyte feels threatened, or if they feel the need to use it. Though these tentacles can have it's advantages, they are rather clumsy during swimming maneuvers. The reason some Nyte have these extra features is due to some past ancestoral feature. These tentacles used to be large "wings" which stretches out close to the size of their arms. Like their tails, they were strong and flat, much like a manta ray.
Being water dwellers, their diet consists of fish of course, as well as shellfish and other seafood delecacies. As they are known to be great fishermen, they are also known to be terrific cooks. They have several rituals with not only their food, but as well, making celebrations of their land, giving thanks to the ocean and the moon as it holds to much of their legends.