Bowl fluffies are a rare breed of fluffy that have recently begun to recover their population across North America. Originally manufactured by Hasbio as a novelty breed, these fluffies have evolved multiple adaptations to survive as ferals ever since their release into the wild. They have become a prime example of the rapid evolution of fluffies, as well as the evolutionary potential of the species as a whole.
The bowl fluffy has 3 unique adaptations: a powerful tail, a hydrophobic layer of fluff, and most importantly, a large circular indent (called a bowl) on their abdomen.
A bowl fluffy’s mane has transformed into an extremely hydrophobic layer of hair. Instead of stopping at the lower neck, these fluffy’s hairlines extend all the way along the spine to the base of the tail. From this, the modified mane grows very long, allowing the fluffy to maintain buoyancy (see fig.4).
This coat, along with other adaptations, takes a while to develop. In fact, bowl fluffy foals look pretty much identical to normal fluffies (see fig.1). When the foals grow larger (see fig.2), they begin to develop their “float coat” (as they call it), as well as a broader tail and their signature bowl. These features fully develop once the fluffy reaches sexual maturity (see fig.3).
These fluffies can float on top of water, making them one of few fluffy types that can work around terrestrial fluffy’s vulnerability to it. In fact, bowl fluffy mares heavily favor bodies of water that let them float when they rear young.
This is due to their unique anatomy (see fig.4), which positions the mare’s breasts inward facing the bowl, instead of outwards like other species. This configuration allows the fluffy to rest safely on water for as long as it wishes, but it also eliminates their ability to safely nurse on land (as nursing in such an immobile position while exposing your foals and vital organs is. Obviously a bad idea-)
It is worth noting that males posses a much less prominent bowl, as they find no use for it. Other than that, there is no major sexual dimorphism in the breed, much like other fluffy types.
The last adaptation, also being a fairly recent one, is a strong board-like tail. Their tails are short in length, and thin from the top and bottom, but very wide in their side profile and at the base. This fin-like tail is very strong, and can swish side-to-side to allow the fluffy to propel itself through water. This feature allows the fluffy to move instead of staying stagnant like the previous generations.
Despite all of this evolutionary wonder, there is a reason that bowl fluffies are still rare. Their unique adaptations carry some unique problems, and genetic defects are rampant due to the fast evolution of the species throughout all breeds. They are incredibly easy to snatch by birds of prey, and being submerged or water-lodged in any way will easily sink the fluffy and any foals. They are a specialty breed with a specialized life style, and have many biological factors running against them, but like with all other fluffies, things are starting to change.
(SORRY FOR ALL THE TEXT! I just wanted to share some of my evolution ideas for these guys. I feel like combined with their fast generations (with fluffies in my headcanon having approximately 3 per year), and bio-rich, genetically modified nature, they would evolve fast. They’re getting smarter, bigger, and stronger than before.)