Illustration of a Quandury
The Quandury is a magical creature discovered by P.H. Athoms on one of his underwater explorations in 1975. At that time, Athoms successfully transported one of the creatures to the surface for study. Athoms' discovery of the Quandury and his explorations of other deep-sea creatures both magical and mundane are detailed in his book What Lies Beneath.
This creature was introduced during Term 4 by Professor Hendrik.
Habitat[]
The Quandury can usually be found on the ocean floor, typically in close proxmity to naturally occuring volcanic vents. They are also found in deep underwater cavern systems. These interconnected caverns tend to have large amounts of seawater flowing through them, and the average temperature is somewhat tropical in nature (roughly 69-75 degrees Fahrenheit.). This nutrient rich water is an important survival feature for the Quandury, as it provides a rich source of food. In addition, this is a sparsely populated part of the ocean, and the Quandury has no natural predators.
Due to the extreme pressures at the depths in which the Quandury lives, very few survive the trip to the surface and subsequent travel. Specimans found outside of the natural environment live within pressurized tanks and generally do not survive long.
Physical Appearance[]
Because the Quandury is symmetrical along its horizontal axis, it looks the same from either direction: up or down. Due to this unusual feature, the Quandury spends most of its time pondering which way is up - literally. These creatures have no mouth openings, as the Quandury feeds cutaneously, meaning they aquire all the nutrients they need through their skin.
The appendages at each of the Quandury's apices are believed to be a type of feeler for locating substrate on which to rest.
Magical Uses[]
The Quandury contains a fluid that can be harvested as an ingredient for potions. Specifically Forgetfulness Potion, Confusing Concoction, and the Memory Mesmerizing Potion are a few in which addition of the Quandury fluid will increase the potency. Athoms, one of the few magical marine biologists that has interacted with a school of Quandury in the field, reported that when a large number of the creatures were present, he had difficulty concentrating on his work. He speculated that the school caused this reaction. The fluid is extracted from the Quandury using an extraction spell, but it must be performed underwater. The seawater should then be collected, and, due to the viscous nature of the fluid, the liquids should separate naturally. The seawater can be poured off and distilled to remove all remaining useable fluid.