| Class: | Symbiont or Mutation |
| Hab: | On host's surface |
| Fre: | Free-living: Very Rare |
| Num: | By host; Free-living: 10-20 |
| Lair: | 100% |
| Size: | Covers host's surface |
| Move: | Sessile on host; Free-living ripple like manta ray |
| Def: | As tough hide; most damage passed on to host |
| Att: | Attached: none, Free-living: envelops, smothers |
| Int: | Negligible |
| Spec: | Enhances host |
| Posns: | None |
Amphi-skins may resemble frog skin or slick fish skin. In addition to superior camouflage, amphi-skin provides the advantage of oxygen transpiration. This makes the host amphibious and able to breathe under water. Not being as efficient as lung breathing, this surface transpiration can only sustain low energy activities.
Like the closely related Slug-Skin, which SEE, Amphi-skin is susceptible to desiccation if exposed to excessively dry air for an extended period of time. Some varieties of amphi-skin do allow dedicated aquatics to "skin-breath" out of water, but additional adaptations (or appliances) may be required to provide such amphibianized aquatics mobility on land.
Known attempts to hybridize amphi-skin with camo-sheaths (which SEE) have met with only limited success.
Free-living Amphi-Skins
Free-living amphi-skins may be non-symbiont varieties or may be searching for hosts. They are somewhat fragile; tearing apart may be part of their reproductive strategy. Free-living slug-skins attack by enveloping and smothering; they are essentially a variety of smother-skin; SEE Animal Skin Rugs.
Colonies of 10-20 free-living amphi-skins may be guarding a horde of translucent, pearly eggs, rather like frog eggs, in some calm, secluded pool or backwater. These eggs are usually anchored to some underwater substrate where they can be easily guarded. Nurse skins fan fresh, oxygen-rich water over the eggs and caress them clean of any parasites.
While their eggs are nursed under water, the skins may hunt both above and below the surface.
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