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Siliballs (Nitromethanosiliconium spp.)
Creator: HethrJarrod
Ancestor: Siliconitrifiers, Nitromethanians
Habitat: World Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Beaches, Wetlands
Size: 120 um individual cell
Support: Cytoskeleton
Diet: Photosynthesis, Nitrification, Geophage, Detritivore
Respiration: Passive Diffusion
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Binary Fission, Auxospores

Some of the Siliconitrifiers absorbed nearby Nitromethanians, transforming them into cellular endosymbiotes and grew an astounding eightfold due to the increase in energy. These became the Siliballs They still utilize photosynthesis to break up silicon dioxide which it takes in from quartz in the sediment; it uses this in combination with carbon, oxygen, and other materials (including methane) to produce various forms of silicone. Absorbing the Nitromethanians has allowed them the energy to make a silicone membrane that prevents them from drying out when they wash up onto the Glicker Tropical Beach. This membrane also serves to help create the low oxygen environment the nitromethanian organelles need. If the membrane does dry out, the Siliball will pop, releasing a small cloud of auxospores.

Because of their shape, they are usually able to roll back into water, their membrane picking up sand and silica dioxide for it to use. The Nitromethanians absorb atmospheric and dissolved nitrogen, and create ammonia. The Siliballs then use this ammonia and create nitrite waste products that it spreads as it rolls.

Because of its small size, it can easily be pushed by the wind quite long distances. They can also be found floating with the ocean currents.

Varieties you might see along their habitat:
Cylindrical, Fusiform, and Spheroid

This post has been edited by HethrJarrod: May 11 2023, 06:31 PM

Is there a reason this genus has such a small range? I was just looking around at the ranges of each submission and I'm curious about this one.

Genus groups need a region range, not biomes.

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Mar 22 2023, 10:05 AM)

Genus groups need a region range, not biomes.

How does that work with neglected biomes?

Otherwise, I’m good with Glicker, Barlowe, Beaches and Wetlands
If those are ok

This post has been edited by HethrJarrod: Mar 22 2023, 11:03 AM

I believe neglected biomes are ones without any individual species endemic to them, genera aren't listed in every biome they're in.

Please do not make organisms that fill half the nitrogen cycle on their own.

QUOTE

Please do not make organisms that fill half the nitrogen cycle on their own.

Is the implication that it should only make ammonia and not go onto the next step? Is there any particular reason why organisms that fill more than one nitrogen cycle step are problematic?

QUOTE (Cube67 @ Mar 28 2023, 09:12 AM)

QUOTE   Please do not make organisms that fill half the nitrogen cycle on their own. Is the implication that it should only make ammonia and not go onto the next step? Is there any particular reason why organisms that fill more than one nitrogen cycle step are problematic?

I figure it would not be energy production to do the WHOLE thing

but using organelles to convert N2 to ammonia and then processing that ammonia into nitrite should be ok.

Anything MORE than that would be a bit crazy.

What are they getting out of it?

QUOTE (Cube67 @ Mar 28 2023, 08:12 AM)

QUOTE   Please do not make organisms that fill half the nitrogen cycle on their own. Is the implication that it should only make ammonia and not go onto the next step? Is there any particular reason why organisms that fill more than one nitrogen cycle step are problematic?

I don't know Disgustedorite's reasoning, but I can make a guess. Genus group organisms can go extinct. It's less likely, but it can happen. Genus group extinction is probably more likely for multicellular genus groups than unicellular ones, particularly since this genus group exists in only one region. If it does half the nitrogen cycle on its own, it might become an exaggerated example of a keystone species in its region, allowing local life to flourish on the readily available or high nitrogen levels. But if it goes extinct, it could potentially cause a nitrogen crash, imitating half the causes of the EBAD for the region.

However, the question of biological necessity for filling half the nitrogen cycle on its own is probably a bigger issue than ecological precariousness.

From ancestor: Siliconitrifiers

“With the rise of Nitromethanians, which produced abundant methane, the Siliconitrifiers also arose to make use of this abundant methane source for their silicone resin coatings. They were swiftly exposed to the ammonia which was also produced by the Nitromethanians, and in response they became nitrifiers—using some of the oxygen they produce to oxidize ammonia into nitrite. This has resulted in them having less leftover oxygen to form their silicone resin coating, but as they live in oxygen-poor environments with comparatively few predators this is not an issue. Like their ancestor, they have specialized organelles for processing silicon and creating silicon compounds, and they enter a dormant cyst form when no methane is available.”

• Because of the Nitromethanians, their ancestor used this methane produced for their resin. Excess oxygen was used to turn ammonia into nitrite. They go dormant in a low methane environment.

A codependence. It’s like… instead of sitting down for a meal at the Café Methané, this organism hires one of the cooks as their personal chef.
1) Can produce nitrite easier, instead of having to look for ammonium, it’d be right there
2) Nitromethanians are provided with a low oxygen environment they require