When humanity set up the first base on Europa, they discovered that Europa fairly teemed with a bizarre menagerie of life forms. Most of them were single-cell organisms, based on biochemistry completely alien to those found on Earth. There were larger life forms in thousands of configurations, too. They mostly congregated around the various hot spots in the oceans, but even away from the heated vents, the waters were full of life. The most deadly were the Sprites.
These worm-like creatures, which could reach lengths up to eight meters long, were all teeth and body. If you were to compare them to an Earth-based life form. they were most analogous to Earth’s sharks. They had no eyes, but were able to locate prey by using their acute hearing. They were deadly, and they could burrow through the ice with ease, almost as easily as swimming through water.
Mankind, humanity, earthling..... For many reviewers and readers the choice of words creates a different image based on what the reader brings from outside this experience.
worm-like... 8 meters long....all teeth and body.
Is it key how readers visualize? Will its body wrap around? or penetrate? or just nibble with its teeth?
Leading with exposition is usually a death-knell for a book. Personally, if the first two paragraphs of a book I am reading are exposition, I might just put the book down. I prefer to lead with character action, or internal and external dialogue.