Fauna within the water columns (epipelagic zone)

supermang

Something which I feel is missing is the presence of fauna in the water columns (and surface), especially in the deeper biomes (200m+). Currently the seafloor is where most faunas live, and rightly so, however it would be good to introduce some animals that roam the water column between the ocean surface and seafloor. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pelagic_zone

For example:
- Creatures like a viperfish that performs daily vertical migration. The viperfish lives in the deep during daytime and migrate to the surface at night. This behaviour can be replicated for the Spine Eel. Besides the Lost RIver some of them can roam the Blood Kelp zones and frequently migrates vertically daily. This will have the advantage of not only populating the water columns, but also add danger of night exploration and add behavioural differences between day and night.
- Crabsquids can also be included into the vertical migration as per the Spine Eel above, but perhaps reversed.
- Reefbacks should roam around a larger area.
- 'Bigger' small fish that does not rely on cover for survival should roam near the surface in all biomes - for example Peepers which use speed as their self-defence mechanism.

If anyone else has other ideas feel free to add on.

JFCapps

For the "bigger" small fish; maybe they could add in aesthetic larger fish like this. Like the scholes of hoopfish and boomerangs you see but can't interact with.