Tropical Fish

This ambush predator haunts coral reefs and sunken wrecks, and the biggest reach 20 feet and 1,000 pounds. Its enormous mouth works like a suction pump to draw in small fish, and it sometimes stalks lone divers the way a great cat stalks prey. Normally it just bites, but on a 20 it swallows a man-sized or smaller creature, and the suction also pulls in every tiny (size T) creature within 10 feet. Nothing swallowed takes damage that first round; afterward digestive fluids deal 1d4 per round. A victim holding a dagger or similar small blade can cut free by dealing 25% of the grouper's original hit points, or may slip out with a successful Strength check when it next opens its mouth to feed.

Shaped like a moray eel but tempered like a piranha, the morena is so aggressive that even sharks avoid it. It lairs in reef crevices and caves and, at rest, can pass for a moray. Its gray-green color varies lighter or darker to match its surroundings.

Disturbed at home, it can strike out to 40 feet in one lunge, surprising on 1-8 and gaining +2 to hit. Otherwise it swims in a fast zigzag: missiles automatically miss it at first and suffer -4 to hit afterward. Moving, it is AC 2; once it bites or holds still it drops to AC 6. A bite deals 1d4+1 and locks on for 2d4+2 every round after. Brought down to one-third of its hit points, it releases its grip and flees. It regenerates 1 hit point per turn but dies normally at 0.

A relative of the puffer, it lives along rocky coasts and reefs and stays close to its feeding grounds, eating coral, clams and small crustaceans. It is not aggressive and flees home when it can. Provoked, it may bite for 1d3, but its real defense is to swell to three times its size, raising a coat of dagger-long spines. Whenever a creature attacks it with claws, teeth, tentacles or other natural weapons, that earns the fish a spine attack in return; a hit deals 3d4 and requires an immediate save vs. poison, with death in 1d4 rounds on a failure. A frightened porcupine fish may also dart at anyone within 5 feet. Barracuda eat them and become poisonous for people to eat as a result.

This slow tropical ray lives in warm seas down to 200 feet but also turns up in wading depth near shore. It hides by burying itself in sand, where it counts as invisible. Small shocks stun or kill the little fish it eats and are merely painful to man-sized creatures. Stepped on or threatened by something large, though, it dumps its stored charge in a 15-foot burst. Everyone in range must save vs. paralyzation or reel, stunned and unable to act coherently, for 2d4 rounds. Damage applies regardless of saves: 2d6 within 5 feet, 1d6 within 10, and 1d3 within 15, while those out to 30 feet feel only a tingle. It can let loose five such bursts daily, needs 5d4 rounds to recharge, and swims away after each one.