Leviathan ecology : Mizutsune in Monster Hunter

[@thesnowgrizzly2370]

An idea that struck me when Mizu's fins turning red when angered was mentioned, was that maybe when the fins turn blue when exhausted could be a color indicator to the rivaling male that they're forfeiting the brawl.

[@TwoSevenX]

or having lots of red says I mate gud and also protecc all the babies with all the red

[@mr.miglio7812]

This could also be the case for quruepeco

[@ringring8938]

To a seasoned hunter, red means aggression, the time to be cautious. While blue means weakness, the time to press on the attack. I realized to a veteran predator, these color display are interpreted as weak or strong. To a hunter he or she merely react how to hunt it, not to run away from it.

[@DiamondAppendixVODs]

I never noticed his fins turn blue when exhausted. Good to know

[@thebaseandtriflingcreature174]

@@DiamondAppendixVODs it’s especially noticeable in Generations

[@abbewinter9249]

On mizutsune being poor swimmers: While Monster Hunter Stories isn't always perfect in its world building, it may be worth noting that Mizutsune can't actually use the swim action, perhaps due to the reasons you speculated. Instead, they have the dash action, using bubble foam to slide along the ground.

[@NeovenatorGuy]

What if mizu are fully land animals with some adaptations to water with enhanced lungs. They seem poorly suitted to aquatic movement due no webbed feet or claws, with the best thing they can do underwater is hook onto the bottom. Even their tail isnt adapted to swimming, really only for balance and producing bubble foam. Maybe like suchominus and baryonyx who are pretty bad swimmers if irrc who perfered to fish on the surface of shallow water to fish instead of deep bodies of water, maybe with the neck with mizu and snapping slim jaws he might be able to do that

[@howdyimhowdy]

my theory is the mitzune is the secret slug monster

[@Lolbitdrangonmaster]

I have a theory. They can't use their defense mechanism, and so they undeveloped the water stuff they had. But hey, that's just a theory. a game theory!

[@rac1equalsbestgame853]

Remove the purplefur and they don't look worse built for swimming than a croc. My theory is that if Mizu's soaked purplefur has positive bouyancy plus how they affect the effectiveness of it's paddles (If it swims it almost certainly does it up and down in a similar way to Almudron), that's why. In GU idk where it's mentioned that Mizu swim by paddling on the surface, implying it struggles/can't sink. If it already got down to the water by walking he could fight it to stay down and easily surface by not fighting bouyancy anymore.

[@jas_nah]

I sort of love how "giant pink lizard fox that fights with bubbles" is one of the more ecologically plausible for his tier. Looking forward to Legiana... one of my favorite roars in the game.

[@bryanteehee682]

me when the legiana roar also appeared in transformers revenge of the fallen

[@kevinfowler1549]

@@bryanteehee682 I have watched that scene again and again and have not heard it. I don’t believe they’re remotely close.

[@casualtr4sh]

I love how Rise played around with different yokai for the monsters

[@Broomer52]

I’m even more surprised how OP being able to make bubbles and soapy material would be in the wild. This monster is nothing all too special in Monster Hunter but in a more grounded world that thing is a tough slippery bastard

[@gogglesesm9122]

Funny Mizutsune Story: I was playing MHGU on my switch a room away from a family member and when Mizutsune roared my family member ran into my room thinking the roar was real and I was being attacked by an actual animal.

[@NippleTechnology-cc8bg]

what does animal does mizu even sound like 💀

[@gogglesesm9122]

@@NippleTechnology-cc8bg I dont know I asked them what animal they thought it was.

[@lazaromarques6797]

@@NippleTechnology-cc8bg maybe a veeeeeery angry fox?

[@vanilla1749]

@@lazaromarques6797 a very loud yip

[@thenerdbeast7375]

Given how there is no better flea killing soap as good as Dawn dishsoap, I am very confident that Mizutsune's bubblefoam can hinder Zinogre's ability to use the thunder bugs.

[@pokegirl1799]

I can't tell if you're trying to be sarcastic or if you are promoting Dawn dishsoap or something, but I can say you're correct. My mom uses that on her dogs & cats cuz it's much cheaper, is good for sensitive skin, and works just as well as the overpriced fancy s***.

[@thenerdbeast7375]

@@pokegirl1799 I say it because I used to work at a dog groomers as a bather and if the dog was infested we'd break out the Dawn. So I have firsthand experience knowing that Mizustune's foam likely kills Zinogre's thunder bugs and that alone makes it a dangerous prey for Zinogre to tackle, as a drawn out fight would probably devastate a Zinogre's fur biome and leave it vulnerable.

[@GeraltofRivia22]

@@thenerdbeast7375 would any dish soap work? My dogs have flees at the moment.

[@thenerdbeast7375]

@@GeraltofRivia22 Theoretically yes HOWEVER not every dish soap is pet friendly and it isn't worth making your pets sick! We use the blue Dawn with the baby duck on it because we know it is animal safe as it is used on wild animals caught in oil spills!

[@nucleus5044]

@@thenerdbeast7375 That's exactly what my mom did when we got our kitten!

[@warpdkirby]

Interesting, there is dialogue in GU saying out of mating season you could walk up to a Mizu and pet it. An unusual trait that may be unique to bubble fox as every other monster are aggressive.

[@Stratelier]

Mind that prior to World, *ALL* large monsters were aggressive on sight as a simple gameplay mechanic, lore be damned. Which is still mostly true in Rise and Sunbreak, too.

[@kingofflames738]

@@Stratelier But in lore their aggression was also mentioned, like how Teostras are said to be so aggressive that they attack anything they see without warning or how Duramboros males are territorial.

[@DissedRedEngie]

Tobi-kadachis in world are passive. You can hang around them as long as you like, and the only time they'll attack is if you attack first.

[@SadMoribund]

@@kingofflames738 It definitely makes sense, as every Monster we go questing against in story are intended to be outliner individuals that are causing a ruckus. Naturally, every Mizutsune we hunt are hostile males in mating season. Makes me wish that we could find female Mizutsune and neutral males on expeditions in future games, have them be completely passive to you until you attack.

[@kingofflames738]

@@SadMoribund Female Mizutsune have a hunting ban because they're so passive. Males are so calm out of mating season that you can easily pet a wild one, so they don't have quests issued for those. Attacking either of those would put you in the cross hairs of guild knights and bounty hunters instantly. Unless the game had that kind of reputation system that determines whether the guild wants you dead or not for poaching there's just no good reason to include unhunted monsters.

[@brisingrdragon7573]

I'd say Mizu's hooklike claws are also useful for maintaining traction while its surroundings are coated with bubblefoam. It does sometimes intentionally slide around using the foam, but most of the time it probably isn't too keen on slipping on its own defense mechanism.

[@jackkrell4238]

That explanation definitely seems to be the most plausible. The claws are falcated and do appear to stabilize the body once mizutsune has gained momentum from sliding around on the produced dilute foam solution reminiscent to that of soap. Similar to that of a cheetah that has evolved non-retractable claws to facilitate traction.

[@JasonBason]

Thats what I’ve always thought

[@aaa1e2r3]

So like in the way Barioth and Tigrex use their pronounced arms in order to support them when they perform tight turns and and landings

[@BaronSterling]

This is actually confirmed in gameplay! If you break the Mizu's claws, whenever it does one of its more slippery and agile movements, it'll lose traction and topple over.

[@johncronk8867]

@@jackkrell4238 females having smaller claws would also go with having less Bubblefoam

[@Stratelier]

Fun fact: The design theme for Mizutsune armor was always "fox wedding", hence the flavor text on each of the pieces (some of which imply the wearer is _actually_ a fox pretending to be human, as kitsune myths go). Mizutsune was always my favorite of the Fated Four. Not necessarily a "difficult" monster to hunt but very fun, strong theming and great music.

[@thehermit8618]

Thats the low rank armor design. The g-rank seems to be a more "fox noble/advisor" theme and soulseer seems to be the fox going mask-off and unveiling its true form, so to say

[@DR3ADER1]

"some of which implies the wearer is actually a fox pretending to be human, as kitsune myths go" Not just any old Kitsune myth, but THE ultimate Kitsune myth of Tamamo-no-Mae, the Fox of Nine-tails. According to her story, she was able to hide in India and China for several centuries before returning to Japan just by disguising herself as a human. And it's not a poetic irony that the only Mizutsunes you fight are males in heat, expressing their masculinity, despite them being pink and feminine in their movements and the fact that the armour you gleam from them was influenced by the idea of "fox wedding". It's deliberate, as it also relates to the archaic Japanese concept of Yamato Nadeshiko, this concept posits that the role of the housewife is that of a defender of the home, to the point where the use of force to defend the household is even mandatory. The prominence of Magical Girls and female fighting game characters in Japanese pop culture is also sourced from this concept of Yamato Nadeshiko.

[@HareHeadGFX]

I wish Sleeping Mizutsune had bubbles spread out when sleeping during gameplay, as it does in both ecology cutscenes. It would be interesting to have a monster that needs a unique wake-up strategy, and would set it apart from pretty much every other monster in the main series aside from Espinas.

[@shybandit521]

True, it would be cool.

[@cynicalgold9992]

soulseer does exactly this

[@magicalgirl1296]

It's kind of cool how a monster this powerful isn't normally aggressive.

[@plantsoup6456]

Mizu’s fins being important sensory organs honestly makes it’s 2nd head break a lot more gruesome in hindsight. It’s probably extremely painful, and if the monster survives then it’s probably going to have a much harder time living.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Yeah, the pain of a partbreak is probably other wordly for mizu sadly and ones with damaged fins are likely seriously disadvantaged.

[@plantsoup6456]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel Tt also makes the frequency of head topples for Mizu in Rise make a lot more sense now that I think about it. Thanks for the reply.

[@SyzothVeltah]

​@@unnaturalhistorychannel and one of the reasons why releasing captured monsters is a no no.

[@nastypumpkincatgirl3732]

I feel like the bubblefoam may have an environmental impact as well. If it truly can fill large areas of wetlands with its bubblefoam protein, then a Mizutsune's territory could deter predatory fish like gajau and serve as a safer zone for smaller prey amphibians and insects, sort of like a landscape of fear.

[@Broomer52]

Honestly between where and how it makes it’s bubbles, it’s a well crafted animal. Being slippery and being able to produce a slippery substance is just a really advantageous ability. It sleeps in a nest of “soap” so nothing approaching can do so easily while it sleeps. When fighting it’s hard to grab and the longer the fight goes in the worse it gets, it can even focus water to shoot a creature out of the sky. Plus it’s hooked claws help it maneuver slippery terrain so it’s very good at hit and run tactics. In nature being able to make your own soap would be pretty OP as a survival mechanism.

[@AmoniPaleo]

Okay I barely even started to watch the video, but let me just say I absolutly *ADORE YOUR CONTENT, KEEP IT UP!* I at this point watched all of your vids back to back for about 4 times because your commentary and research is fenomenal! I love animals and specially dinossaurs and hearing all the information you keep sharing just makes learn something new everyday. I Said it already but your content is awesome!

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Thank you so much, and thanks for all the support! Glad you get something new each time!

[@alexandercns]

Same here. I got recommended one video and now I've watched nearly all of them (I got arachnophobia so I passed on the arachnids one). Differing opinion on Magnamalo aside I enjoy the hell out of this fella's videos. It lets me look at the monsters in a new way and changes how I approach fighting some of them (Diablos at night, not breaking Anjanath's head because that'd be horrible for its nose-thing, etc).

[@giannijuarez8106]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel can you please do the second session of primal when it comes out

[@clayharris7740]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel hey can you please explore Primal season 2

[@wtf_is_this_handle_shit]

Phenomenal **

[@t-r-e-x452]

The part where you talked about how a Lagiacrus struggles to get a decent bite on Miztsune reminds me of the Tomato frog which secretes a glue-like substance to gum up the mouths of snakes.

[@JanusHoW]

A few thoughts: You had a good explanation as to why Mizutsune and Almudron don't have a turf war in Rise - they have different food sources and thus wouldn't necessarily compete. Still, I'm amazed that Capcom didn't at least mention a conflict between the epitome of clean and the epitome of dirty. As for Soulseer, there's an interesting reason why their bubbles can inflict Fireblight - they've developed a taste for bomb arowana. Somehow, they safely absorb the volatile chemicals in the fish's body and incorporate it into their bubblefoam.

[@johncronk8867]

Mizutsune’s diet affecting its bubbles has been a thing since the beginning. The Red and Green bubbles are due to its diet as well!

[@Sarcasmosuchus]

Yesss super excited for the legiana hint... by far my favorite world original, can't wait to see your prospective

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

One I'm keen to tackle! One of my favourite world originals too.

[@marcusaaronliaogo9158]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel shrieking sucks to fight tho.

[@bryanteehee682]

@@marcusaaronliaogo9158 agreed

[@grantowens7537]

Seconded! That roar, the beauty of his wings, the dance-like fight, everything about Legiana was perfect. I wouldn’t be surprised if it acted in a similar manner to a falcon, swooping down and inflicting lethal blows with its massive claws. Hell, we even see a smaller form of that in its turf war with Paolumu.

[@Katharoni]

What I love is that most of the potential predators happen to also utilize the thunder element, which Mizutsune is entirely weak to. Had to say, I very much enjoyed the video, I love this monster so the analysis had me drawn in the entire time. I was always fascinated with the potential sexual dimorphism of the species as well, and I think this covered it fantastically. I'm very tempted to draw my own interpretation if I'm being fully honest.

[@enderlordmac3336]

The foam might actually making thunder more danger out for it as it could be conductive

[@bobisuncanny2760]

Also if Soulseer have explosive blue-fire bubbles it's because he's enough intelligent, old and mature (basically every deviant) to understand that eating bomb arowanas will make his bubbles even more dangerous.

[@Sunaki1000]

Honestly the smarthess is mostly about managing to shoot it from the other End, different from me after I ate something spiced up whit Tabasco.

[@emperortethysusdacertified8175]

Actually, it's not something the Soulseers do with the intention of boosting the lethality of their bubbles, but rather as a consequence of a lifestyle they've been forced to adapt to. Due to being half-blind, it's significantly harder for Soulseers to catch the fast moving aquatic prey they usually snap up and feed upon, thus forcing them to change their diet and hunt larger, slower prey... a role which the Bomb Arowana fits perfectly. The average Mizu also likely predates upon them too from time to time, but it's the consistent forced predation upon them that leads to high concentrations of the volatile substances within the scales of the arowana mixing with a Soulseer's saliva that in turn leads to the rise of the foxflame bubbles.

[@bobisuncanny2760]

@@emperortethysusdacertified8175 You're right but Soulseer can still use his bubbles to sense its environment (like Gore using his virs). The first time you see it, if you touch his bubbles it will immediatly sense you. So yea we're not wrong either

[@emperortethysusdacertified8175]

@@bobisuncanny2760 A Soulseer's ability to sense his environment through the use of it's bubbles is most certainly one of the most interesting abilities boasted by those deviant variants, moreso than the foxfire bubbles IMO, as it is a perfect representation of how animals tend to adapt to highly detrimental injuries not just behaviorally, but physically as well. As the caretaker of a cat who lost his right eye at a young age due to an extreme infection, I've seen first-hand how quickly such an injury can be compensated for. Following the loss of the eye, said cat's whiskers ended up growing abnormally long once he reached maturity (Granted, he's quite the wide specimen, which is something that also heavily effects whisker length in felines). What confuses me the most about him is that he almost seems to have a sixth sense of his surroundings, and despite being quite the girthy little thing that he is an incredibly effective hunter despite his impaired vision, going as far as catching a dragonfly mid-flight on one occasion. Perhaps the nerves connected to the whiskers have become more sensitive as an adaptation to the partial loss of sight, thus further boosting their utility in environmental navigation and detection of prey? It's possible Soulseer Mizutsune is much the same, heightened sensitivity within its whisker nerves that came about as an adaptation to the loss of an eye now enabling it to detect its surroundings with them to a far greater degree... perhaps even to the point of detecting residual moisture on surfaces, which would explain why it enters an enraged state the moment a hunter, or presumably another monsters, becomes lathered in bubblefoam. It's most certainly an interesting topic, one I'd love to see further discussed upon in the future.

[@Ocean_Lord_derpfish]

Soulseer : this is some serious gourmet shit

[@dianslabbert504]

Mizutsune is the only large monster so far to my knowledge where is it has been stated it has relatively peaceful coexistence with people and attacks/aggressive behaviours towards people are rare. In Rise when the hub urgent quest for the Mizutsune became available Hojo even said belligerent Mizutsune are an unusual sight and this one being aggressive was certainly due to the Rampage. If boundaries are respected and in places where they not hunted for sport or prizes Mizutsune likely don't see people as a threat. I can imagine fishing settlements possibly live peacefully alongside them for the most part.

[@alexmoldovan5176]

if Almudron is the otter equivalent, this means that Mizutsune is the mink, for me, it makes sense from the difference in size to the selection of different habitats between the two species, and maybe they have the same interactions similar ones between otters and minks, when I thought that Mizutsune resembles a mink, the mink men came to mind and I thought it is possible that monsters are used to hunt like how hunter use birds of prey and ferrets.

[@alexandercortez8823]

Very good comparison.

[@DefinitelyNotEmma]

A video on my favorite sexually dimorphic Orchid-Fox-Snake-Weasel? This just became a good day o.O

[@foryossimodicarbonio9703]

I think that male mizutsune might also have very different hunting strategies compared to females. They produce a lot more fluid and it would be reasonable for them to use it. My personal theory is that they hunt entire schools of fishes in river banks by circling around them and creating a nest of bubbles in the water to keep them from escaping. Then they would tighten the circle more and more before diving headfirst in the group of preys, which wouldn't be able to escape unless they jump out of the water and over the fluid layers. This might also be a part of the mating ritual, by showing the female their hunting prowess and then gift her with food. This strategy might also be used by young mizutsunes hunting in small groups, much like pods of dolphins. It's not too far fetched to think that another mating ritual would be similar to the one of some birds. The male would create and adorne a nest for the female and then dance inside it while producing large quantity of bubbles to show off his strength.

[@dumbsterdives]

that hunting strategy sounds very similar to the one demonstrated by Lagiacrus, which could be a fun example of using different adaptations to achieve similar results between related species

[@flygonsarchives]

Finally the Downy dragon lizard himself. Always wondered how it could do its thing with such an alkaline based defense mechanism. Acidic blood to neutralize it? Foaming agents in its oils from its hair follicles?

[@hailthequeenFM]

I love this pink-ish boi. I also love how the name is basically Water Fox, since Mizu means Water and Tsune short for Kitsune means Fox.

[@BoostedMonkey05]

I love how there are some parts implied in the lore that when not in breeding season, Mizutsune are described as quite docile towards humans especially the females. Males only tend to get aggressive during breeding season. Otherwise, they remain on alert only for true predators of their young or themselves. You can probably touch Mizu without it being angry as long as you know what time of the year it is and you respect their boundaries especially when it comes to their offspring and nests.

[@ArylideL]

It would be cool if certain monsters reacted differently to the hunter than just roaring. Apexes might try and starting teething you to see if you’re edible, or start inspecting you like bears do. Meanwhile middle level or low level predators might immediately roar, flush with color, rough up their decorations, or, in mizutsune’s case, blast you with their water jet deterrent.

[@Dodoraptor4]

One thing I wonder is if the “soap” proteins can be secreted willingly from the body’s glands. Perhaps female Mizutsune and males outside of mating season don’t secrete it while moving between places to not leave a clear trail for predators. Instead, only “sweating” the proteins while staying somewhere for a period of time (like in the MHGU cutscene where it rested) to “fortify” the environment. That is, of course, in addition to when directly threatened by a predator. Meanwhile, mating season males have it on an uncontrollable overdrive to signal their presence.

[@draconicfeline6177]

It fortifies the area but also it can sense the bubbles popping so it knows when something is approaching (as in the scene with thunderdoggo and also soulseer)

[@RustyhairedAlp9575]

The advent of violet Mizutsune lends more credence to the whole "mizutsune bubble protein secretion" thing as it appears to secrete large volumes of flamable oil from it's body. Also, extra detail: the bubblefoam as actually secreted from glands near mizutsune's fins

[@gerro2521]

The amount of detail and research that goes into these videos is mindboggling, they are so underrated. Do you just happen to know everything already due to your degree or is this also an opportunity of studying certain behaviours more in-depth for you? I love the videos, keep it up :D

[@Daigon95]

Most likely a lil of both

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

A bit of both really, and thank you!

[@Danodan94]

The sickle-like claws on a Mizutsune's forelimbs seem almost exclusively for the purpose of maintaining traction and mobility while their surroundings are slicked with bubblefoam. This is supported by the event that should they break during a hunt, the Mizutsune has a rather high likelihood of tripping and falling during it's signature bubble slide mobility option. The importance of this feature is further noted by their sheer hardness and durability compared to the rest of their body. While predator claws are strictly used for predation and disputes, they can be rather brittle when struck, but because these claws are used to hold the shifting weight of Mizutsune firm against it's own inertia, it would seem important for them to be very robust.

[@thegreatgoldfilms6311]

KZbin ad: *comes up Me: I DON'T CARE, *BUBBLE WEASEL*

[@kun-kun448]

The archer fish mugshot at 17:46 gave me a good laugh. About Soulseer fight- It’s in my opinion the most difficult solo deviant in the game. As a solo player, I struggled immensely even against a G1/2 Soulseer, as it can put you at half health with one mistake. It really made me appreciate my cats diverting its attention- even if just for one attack. Unlike Bloodbath, Soulseer is at its most dangerous in the first few minutes, when you haven’t broken any parts and getting a soap trip isn’t possible without a lot of skill or a high-damage hunter art. I love his weapon and armor designs though. Good stuff UHC! Keep it up!

[@DoodersDen]

On the topic of Male Mizu's claws, they could also aid in grip during copulation when breeding with females, perhaps Mizus, both male and females, during breeding release the bubble foam to stimulate hormones both within the individual's body, aswell as their counterparts to better initiate breeding behavior. Since both sexes secreting the foam during such a delicate process, it may be necessary to have these claws in order to not end up slipping away from their partners, much like how male sharks bite down onto females for the same reason. Along with grip, they may also be used for stimulation, Since touch is so important to Mizu as a sense in general, Males may use their claws in the same way some male constrictor species use their vestigial legs when copulating with a female, "tickling " them to stimulate and initiate breeding behavior aswell as hormone production, this, ON TOP OF the bubble foam secretion could be the actual primary use for the Male's Claws.

[@jameswilliams2075]

With the legiana hint I feel like it's the right time to post my theory on it. It looks like a giant wind drake instead of a flying wyvern so my theory is legiana is the last of a family of large wingdrake like creatures. If this is correct I'd say the arrival of the raths out competed legianas other relatives.

[@johncronk8867]

Something to note is that Legiana is basically min-maxed for aerial prowess, especially in the Coral Highlands consistent updrafts. This extreme adaptation may explain why it isn’t elsewhere: the environment of the highlands boosts its mobility enough that it makes up for the inherent weakness, but said weakness is their downfall in less accommodating environments.

[@ZypherRAWR]

Not only do I learn about fake ecology, but I learned about real world animals. The explanation of how the hagfish proteins mingle with the water to create the infamous slime was amazing to hear! I didn’t realise how unsatisfied I was with “it just makes slime” as an answer.

[@draconicfeline6177]

Mizu's diet is oil rich, and violet mizu apparently excretes joint lubricant that it sets on fire. I think the original lore for soulseer was that because he was injured, his diet changed and he ate a lot of blast fish which made the foam more explosive. Either way, its slime is fat/oil based, not mucous based. Or it could be a mixture.

[@sagedeen4180]

Super interesting and informative as always! the idea of the bubble foam being similer to hagfish slime in how it is produced makes far too much sense. Every video is a treat and I can't wait for the next one.

[@aidenhorne3981]

Mizutsune has been up there for me in terms of favorites for a long while so its really nice to see you make a video on them. I haven't fully watched the video yet, but I have an idea for why Mizutsune is so acrobatic with its movements. In addition to the coloration of the males, maybe all of those flips and sliding around have the purpose of courting and showing off to female Mizutsune. Its just a random idea but it could be interesting.

[@soltheshinydrifblim7183]

I’m surprised you didn’t mention Mizu’s multicolored bubbles. I think they might serve as either a kind of signal for other individuals based on the color, or they may also be filled with special chemicals given their effects. The green healing bubbles may even be used under normal circumstances to help heal wounds. Excited for what I can only assume is Legiana coming next and I’m still hoping for an Espinas episode in the near future.

[@lukezondervan8094]

I had always assumed that Mizu was omnivorous (much like the foxes they are partially based on), and that the red and green bubbles were a result of remaining herbs or Demon fruit that wasn't fully chewed or swallowed just randomly getting blown into the bubbles- Mizu's bubbles could then be seen as acting as a bit of aquaculture- helping to keep mire out so that certain plants can thrive more easily.

[@moncajonca9237]

WHOOOO YEAAAHHH WHOOOOOO

[@scorpiopede]

Absolutely fantastic video. I've been trying to rack my head around the particular use of the bubble foam for a long time, but the dual use of signaling and hagfish slime deterrent are so apt I'm surprised I didn't make the connection myself. I would love to see a female Mizu appear in-game as a non-huntable, something akin to the rare endemics that Rise have (one of the few world-building things Rise did really well with). Not much else to add since you've hit the nail on the head, but I AM curious if you can think of a reasonable explanation behind Soulseer's bubbles suddenly becoming fiery because it's blind. I honestly can't and for that reason it's one of my least favorite of the deviants purely because of how poorly it fits in Monster Hunter. Can't wait for the Legiana video, that's going to be an interesting one. For future videos, I'd love to see one on Gammoth as it's also my favorite of the Fated Four, and I'm also curious on other 3rd gen monsters like Agnaktor, Gobul/Nibbelsnarf, and even Ludroth getting some attention.

[@bryanteehee682]

Saw someone commenting that Soulseer mizu ate bomb arrowanas, resulting in the bubbles they produce being explosive, that may be a good reason why?

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Gammoth will be covered in good time. I'm unsure how much of the whole roster I'll do, but I do like a good handful of those monsters too. Agnaktor would be quite a challenge though.

[@scorpiopede]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel Agnaktor has always been a stand out for its ecology, presented as a higher order carnivore but not seeming to be suited for hunting the huge minerivores of the volcanic regions. It's jaws and teeth always made me wonder if there's potential piscine wyverns or something analogous that live in these areas they may hunt that we haven't seen yet, something like a Delex but for the volcanoes.

[@ricardomaldonado5643]

Mizutzune was already one of my favorite monsters but I always thought that the bubbles was too fantastical, but still pretty cool So seeing that it's actually based on real stuff just made me like this fox bubble boi even more

[@losingmymind611]

Rewatching for third time because I now desperately want a gammoth video.

[@Rhetco]

Great video! I love that it took you less than a minute to compare the monster typically considered elegant and beautiful to a hagfish. Regarding the topic of eyesight, it does seem to be fairly important for hunting fish specifically, which makes up a lot of mizu's diet. The explanation for why soulseer can breath flaming bubbles is that the lack of eyesight forces it to hunt larger and slower fish, which usually ends up being bomb arowanas. It's an interesting detail, since it seems like mizu can survive digesting whatever explosive chemical it is that the arowanas produce, and even take advantage of it like a giant nuclear dart frog. Although the fact that regular, healthy mizus don't seem to eat bomb arowanas probably implies that they have little nutritional value, or are just unpalatable. So for soulseer to resort to eating so many of the things means that the lack of eyesight is a probably makes it a lot more difficult to hunt anything else.

[@dragonstrike406]

Another great video! I like it and I like how at the end you mention Mizutsune is one of the better opportunities to explore relationships between people of Monster Hunter and monsters of Monster Hunter. Shame the only games where this is explored is an anime spin-off title that's effectively Rock-Paper-Scissors (I can't believe Capcom managed to seel me this). But here we are. My 2nd favorite monster explained how it could be plausible. Thank you UHC! Keep up the good work!

[@johncronk8867]

What’s the first?

[@dragonstrike406]

@@johncronk8867 Safi. And I know that's quite basic, wow, look, a red dragon. I just like the sheer size and power of that beast.

[@Clockwork_Enby]

Great content, as always I’ve never played MH in my life but one day the YT algorithm put me into one of your MH and i really enjoyed it. After binging your entire backlog I started playing the series and I’ve fallen in love with it. So thank you for that!

[@silverthekitsune7007]

15:10 hi, vet player here, soulseer does use those thrills as sensory orgins, but uses their bubble fluid as the medium instead of just the air, hope that helps ^^

[@mudshrooze]

Not gonna lie man, I wish I could meet ya. Just to shake your hand, thankyou, and maybe buy you a drink. Your work on this channel is phenomenal. I hope to see more from you for as long as you got it in you

[@Neriedar]

Perhaps the foam is used like the bubble nests of betta fish ? This may allow for eggs to be laid In sheltered areas away from water and help ensure optimal humidity for incubation. Or the foam may have compounds that disrupt pathogen growth on eggs or around the nest area. The huge bubble display may be another advertisement to females to the quality of the potential mate if these hold true. A sample of what he could provide to nest maintenance and production.

[@biggnesss7192]

Hey I know this might be a dumb question due to the more fiction based design of the monster but Im curious if you will cover Safi/Zeno jiva or any of the other black dragons.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Unfortunately not planning to any time soon

[@biggnesss7192]

@@unnaturalhistorychannel also the Queen is dead RIP your majesty

[@Nepcsalibur]

In terms of the graduations wyverns would animals, elder dragons would be top order if not forces of nature and black dragons are completely supernatural and defy the natural order of the world.

[@chaosmorris5865]

I've got an interesting suggestion for you to look at. You should take a look at the unique animals and ecology of Dark Sun, an old D&D setting as well the setting for the Prism Pentad book series ((all of which are available on KZbin as audiobooks for free.)) and a few other books as well. The jist of the setting is that an ancient war has turned the world in a desert wasteland, a very fantasy Mad Max thing going on. Pretty much all the plants and animal are either entirely unique or unique modified versions of existing animals different to our own world. Back a while ago you said you wanted to see a fantasy setting where animals had evolved to use magic like humans and thats the case in Dark Sun. All animals have evolved to use Psionics ((one of three magic systems seen in the setting)) to some degree. In the beginng of the Third Prism Pentad book a character is trying to Psionics to posses the mind of a Kank ((a sort of giant domestic beetle used a beast of burden)) in order to spy on the main character. However the Kank ends up overpowering the character's will with its own psionic defenses and posses his mind instead. He then proceeds to have his body run around on all fours scratching at the walls as he is locked into a fierce mental battle with the creature to regain control over his own body. Its a very unique and i'd love to see the setting get some love in the modern day.

[@ano-_break-_9761]

No Offense but your Story of the Guy getting his Mind taken over by a Bug is like a wild fever dream

[@chaosmorris5865]

@@ano-_break-_9761 Its written a lot better in the actual book.

[@bleddynwolf8463]

honestly looking at the creatures from any dnd setting would be cool

[@chaosmorris5865]

@@bleddynwolf8463 Yes but Dark Sun is by far the most original, cohesive, and well written of the DnD settings. So thats why I suggested it that and its unique flora and fauna

[@AutistiCat2406]

Mizu do be one of my favorites, and hopefully with the honestly stupid new design we get to understand more about my beloved

[@juanisol8275]

Bubble troubble!! Lovely chimeric critters have the Monster Hunter! How diverse and unique they are! Also funny reference and speculative View of the Yokais!

[@S.I.L.]

Due to being docile out if season and having beautiful plumage, neutered males are probably a popular kind of exotic pet for more eccentric nobles.

[@joap6874]

Man this was such a good video, really hope you cover the other fated four soon! Also since you've mentioned Mizu having to deal with other flying wyverns, i've always had the idea that Legiana might be a potential rival in tha regard since they could share habitats. With the way the Coral Highlands are described and shown, I imagine Legiana could easily live in a place such as the Misty Peaks, the Shrine Ruins, or the Ruined Pinnacle

[@TheKyaknight]

Can you do tobi-kadachi next? Tobi gets overshadowed by many other thunder monsters and I also wanna know if Tobi could take on most monsters or be smart and flee to fight another day

[@ostia1]

Ok but now violet mizutsune? I think it may be that a mizutsune population got restrained in a volcanic/arid mountain environment and with all the pyroclastic material found in the ground could it be possible that, if we consider that the mizutsune foam doesn't impede fire, that the rubbing of these materials with the floor could create fire and they may have used this to hunt in a more arid environment

[@viniciuspaiva3578]

I like to think that Mizutsune's bubble foam is more comparable to frog mucus

[@regularbricksstudios1109]

What a good way to spend a rainy afternoon

[@multiverseecologist1641]

While fighting the Violet Mizutsune, the eye patterns on its tail stood out to me. I always assumed the eye patterns on its fins were for display and intimidation, but the tail patterns are so prominent, I thought they could have another purpose. Something that came to mind was that the boldness of the eyelets on the tail could be similar to how some butterflies have eye patterns on their wings to confuse predators on where their head is. Looking at Mizutsune, from the perspective of an animal with poor eyesight, their body has horizontal symmetry with a star like pointed mane on both ends. Possibly since the fins on the Mizutsune's head are so important, this false head display helps to preserve its fragile sensory organs on its head. As a smaller caveat, this could also explain why the tail has more fur. With the fur adding padding to the more likely attacked location.

[@captaincringe9312]

On the subject of mizutsune's fins displaying health/fitness, in game when weakened or close to death, the fins become a bluish purple color which supports the theory that they signal the health of an individual.

[@Aondeug]

I only just got into Monster Hunter recently and it's really cool to see videos like this about the monsters! Because one of the things I liked was that I was apparently helping in research given what little story I got from GU's start. And I really love the hunter's log notes. So it's really cool to see a channel looking at the monsters with this sort of lens.

[@Lin_Nascimento]

It's always exciting to see you posted a new video. It's like being a children in christmas. Keep the good work.

[@brotherpigeons8395]

Just in time for the work shift. Thank ya

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Enjoy!

[@deathshand4248]

Another use of the bigger hooked claw may be to hold down larger fish like great sushifish or swordfish or gastro tuna that are too large for it to swallow outright as we see in game when it eats it eat smaller fish whole but if catches a larger fish the claw would give it better purchase on the flopping wet scaly body

[@purplehaze2358]

Imagine being in a roster with creatures capable of generating high-voltage electricity from their bodies and driving surrounding creatures to madness with their scales, meanwhile your big gimmick is making bubbles.

[@unicorntomboy9736]

It's actually an ingenious defensive strategy in a world of fire-breathing wyverns

[@johncronk8867]

@@unicorntomboy9736 eye irritants are also excellent defensive options. Soap in opponents’ eyes would genuinely be a really effective deterrent, and provides a very large advantage in combat if the enemy doesn’t back down. Also turning every blade of grass into cartoon banana peels is the epitome of hilariously effective.

[@haloshock360]

I know this isn't going to be huge among everyone but I would love a video that talks about nibelsnarf to some extent. I love that dude

[@timidchandelure]

Bro I was praying for this you've no idea how excited I am to see this 😭😭😭

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Hope it delivers!

[@azuremoon2096]

An amazing and well done video once again on the bubble fox himself and it’s quite nice, at least to me, to follow up this lovely lad with one of the most alien, but beautiful locales in the entire series alongside the highlands most elegant ruler and dancer as well. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for the frozen shark canary and its even colder and much louder cousin.

[@johncronk8867]

I think Legiana is also based on Glaucus Atlanticus.

[@theelementalstation947]

OMG the Jho slipping on the foam in the concept art 🤣 I LOVE IT!

[@TypeZeta2]

I love these videos because it talks about the Wyverns but also real biology which makes the videos more interesting and as someone who loves Monster Hunter (and is running a monster Hunter themed dnd campaign) these videos provide a lot of insight to the Wyverns if they were to be considered canon.

[@AndrewThePoet]

Been awhile since I watched your content but I really REALLY love your content, keep it and I hope you have a great day!

[@zachariewinters2335]

With its exceptionally sized tail, i expect that mizutsune would be a tail swimmer, rather than a limb swimmer so in water it likely has behaviours similar to a crocodilian in its swimming, not just in its aquatic sensory abilities

[@jasonvoorhees5180]

11:01 Holy crap I didn't even know jackson shark mouths looked like that. These are literally the _spitting image_ of deviljhos teeth.

[@CFreezerBurnC]

Mizu is one of my favorite monsters! Glad to see it getting analyzed.

[@draw2death421]

I feel like Almudron are probably somewhat related to Mizutsune. Both have brush tails and both have long nails on their forearms. Both also have whiskers.

[@acetrainer3240]

Yes! Mizutsune's one of my favorite monsters next to Chameleos and Pukei-Pukei. I've been super excited to listen to you talk about the damp weasel ever since the QnA. Take care and keep up the good work!

[@estebanfuentes8356]

Since I discovered your channel, this is the video I've been the most excited about.

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

Can only hope it delivered!

[@xc809]

Episode on beeg Jagras maybe? That glutton has to be my favorite beginner monster! Love your channel by the way, glad I discovered it!

[@johncronk8867]

Literally just upscale a Komodo Dragon and let it swallow things whole.

[@bnanaman7134]

MA! WAKE UP! NEW MONSTER HUNTER ECOLOGY VIDEO! (For real though, I love this channel and it's content. Very excited for this episode.)

[@supersai-raptor5167]

I really love this one, I’ve been waiting on a comprehensive video like this on Mizutsune, one of my personal favorite monsters of all time…very good analogy to hagfish ass well, I like your extrapolation that their mating structure has a rutting equivalent like ungulates and deer..incredible video! Side note: as far as power is concerned. Mizutsune is quite powerful as an animal, now this is based off my experience with it’s different renditions and variations, but something like soulseer literally sees elder dragons as minor inconveniences.

[@johncronk8867]

I don’t think it sees ANYTHING as minor inconveniences.

[@lordm0918]

Idk exactly how well the last one did, but I at least would be interested in a sequel to your primal video for season 2

[@unnaturalhistorychannel]

On the way in good time!

[@bluesheepwolfie307]

YEAAAH MY FAVORITE MONSTER IS NEXT, WOOOO. Also very interesting video UHC! I never would've thought of hagfish mucus/slime being so similar to Mizitsune bubblefoam, but it makes a fantastic real world allegory

[@edryu9688]

A stellar video as always good sir. Mizutsune has always been such an anomaly to me for having such a sleek and fish-like body suited for aquatic living...and yet all if its other features so obviously for terrestrial living.

[@elfmonster1476]

You have earned yourself another subscriber. This all makes sense.

[@PaRaNiki_]

That last second gave me goosebumps, I love that cry.

[@Diamon_Boots]

I was never really into Monster Hunter, but when the Rise trailer first dropped and I saw Mizutsune it was the first monster I looked at and thought "hey, this is really cool! I want to see more of them", and also I had this really cool picture of a character who I later discovered was wearing Mizutsune's armor. While I still don't know if I like the games or not, only having a few hours at most in RIse, I am sure that I wouldn't even have tried the series if it wasn't for Mizutsune.

[@maxhay9098]

The mental image of a Lagiacrus accidentally yeeting a Mizutsune across the river bank, only to roar in rage as the Mizutsune slips off into the underbrush, is hilarious. The literal definition of "leaving a bitter taste in your mouth."

[@1998topornik]

Mizutsune is one of the most beautiful and elegant monsters in the game. Colours, movement and sound effects make it very pleasing to look at.

[@matteolucarelli4615]

Could another possible use for the foam coat be to help moving around? Mizu is shown as a quite agile monster on land but with short legs Idk how well it could go in terms of long travels on land (assuming it ever needs to do one for some reason, maybe if a local water body dries up or when searchign for a mate), the coat could at least help a bit by making it slide on the terrain. Female Mizu sounds like something that would be really cool to get as a variant that interacts with the base version ala Shrieking Legiana ... speaking of which I can't wait to see that Sparrowhawk getting covered in the next video, especially if it means more of the Coral Highlands ecology and productivity getting covered!

[@fluffdafire157]

I like the lore that the armor is used during wedding ceremonies but also that makes me question is it a right that you need to earn or are the garments passed down by royalty

[@michaelhair7828]

I found your channel about a week ago and I've already watched every video. This sort of content is my jam. I really loved World with it's more naturalistic approach to a Monster Hunter game. I hope the next one is a return to that sort of formula. Cheers! Keep making these great videos!

[@not_fatalis]

In the lore, clothes made from Mizu materials are often worn by couples during their wedding (Probably exclusively in Yukumo at least)

[@raykirushiroyshi2752]

YES BABYYY ,THATS WHAT IVE BEEN WAITING FOOOR WOOOOOOH

[@lunar9342]

On the topic of it's color, I tend to think that it's pink coloration is similar to Flamingos and the way their feathers are white at birth and turn pink due to their diet of crustations. Perhaps Mizutsune primarily hunt crustations and fish, rather than just fish

[@ashenesoterica]

I never would have considered linking bubblefoam to things like hagfish slime. That was one of the more ridiculous elements of its biology, but now that it makes more sense, it makes me appreciate it even more. Thank you so much. Battle-wise, Mizutsune's an interesting opponent, but in some ways I feel like it doesn't work very well outside of games with some kind of Art or Style mechanics (or equivalents) like Generations or Rise. And I feel like a real scrub for not being able to put my finger on why exactly that is. I want to say it's a combination of its size and anatomy plus its high mobility, plus or minus the spinning/sliding water jet attack, but that feels like I'm making excuses for being bad at the game. Which might be the case, for all I know. Despite that, I have a hard time picking between Mizutsune, Astalos and Gammoth for my favorite new face in Generations. Though if I had to slim it down, it would probably also be a toss-up between the damp weasel and our lady of the snow. (It'd be a lot harder to trim the three-way down if Astalos *had* gotten a more insectoid design, though.) Glav-who? Wait, y'mean Ben? Meh. edit: damp weasel. damp. not damn. I am so sorry.

[@DarkraiDrive]

LETS GOOOOOO, ONE OF MY FAVORITE MONSTERS

[@souperion2509]

Your content is highly educational and each upload is a thrill. Keep it up, UHC.

[@evodolka]

really interesting video, i never knew there was so much info on Mizutsune, hyped to see the other Fated 4 members in the future also i'd call a baby Mizutsune a pup or cub personally

[@agisuru]

I would like to raise another possibility about the bubblefoam and its use in mating contests: if male Mizutsune use their more prominent hooked foreclaws to engage in wrestling matches, the bubblefoam may be a way for them to avoid serious injury or get the edge on their opponent. Their chests and underbelly are covered in purple fur, and they use bubblefoam on their underside to slide around, which means two clashing males would be extremely slippery and may cause them to lose their grip on their opponent and thereby lose an advantageous positioning in their wrestling match. Also of note, Mizutsune and particularly its bubblefoam have a connection to evasiveness, what with the Bubbly Dance skill on its armor and Mizutsune having a skill to boost its evasiveness in Stories. While game mechanics don't always reflect the actual lore or ecology of these monsters, it does seem to line up very well with the idea of bubblefoam being used as a way to wriggle free of a predatory monster's clutches.