Thomas of Cantimpré [circa 1200-1272 CE] (Liber de natura rerum, Marine monsters 6.2): Abydes is a marine animal, as Aristotle says, which is first aquatic, and its nourishment comes from salt water. Then the form of this animal changes and becomes another; and coming out of the water, it is nourished on the earth (then its name also changes and is called astois). And in this it is strange, that when the very form of the body is changed, the very nature of the character is also changed, so that first it is in the water, then its life is established on the land; and this reason, that according to the arrangement of the limbs and the form, its life itself also changes in character. - [Badke translation/paraphrase]