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Name: Bounding Plyentwort (Frondosomancerxia exiliomagnus)
Creator: Clayren
Ancestor: Leafy Plyentwort (Frondosomancerxia primus)
Habitat: Blocks Temperate Riparian, Blocks Temperate River, Blocks Salt Marsh, Vivus Volcanic (Viridian Hot Springs)
Size: 75 cm long
Support: Endoskeleton (Jointed wood)
Diet: Photosynthesis, Detritivore, Filter-Feeder, Facultative Carnivore (Dartirs, Xenowasps, Gushitos. Spineless Toadtuga tadpoles, Muckwater Fraboos, Eusuckers)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Endotherm
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Spores, Seed-Eggs)

The Bounding Plyentwort split from its ancestor in the Vivus subcontinent. Winter in the Blocks Temperate River and Blocks Salt Marsh creates a special challenge for Plyentworts in the subcontinent. Photosynthesis becomes less effective due to a lack of sunlight and frozen riparian mud is tough to dig up for edible detritus. Xenowasps, Dartirs and other scavengers are less active as well. The Bounding Plyentwort has evolved a special strategy for this problem: migration.

As the weather turns colder Bounding Plyentworts make their way north along the Blocks Temperate Riparian. Before Vivus Peak they will turn east, crossing the rocky Vivus Volcanic to reach the warm waters of the Viridian Hot Springs. Here geothermal energy creates pools of water in green obsidian which stay near 38 degrees Celsius year-round. These waters teem with thermophile organisms and their remains, which the Bounding Plyentworts can feed on. While less common than other minerals, iron is also present in the waters of the Viridian Hot Springs. This allows Bounding Plyentworms to use modified chlorophyll which is chemically identical to hemoglobin. This creates a strong scent of carpozoan blood from their saliva. From high up in the Vivus Volcanic this smell is carried far by the rising hot, moist air of the hot springs and spread far. Scavengers and hemovores from far away are attracted to the Viridian Hot Springs and the awaiting mouths of Bounding Plyentworts.

The Bounding Plyentwort is able to traverse the rocky path between the Blocks Temperate Riparian and Viridian Hot Springs thanks to its specialized limbs. The legs of a Bounding Plyentwort are shaped like long sickles. When downward pressure is applied to this large piece of wood by the leg muscles of the organism, energy is stored in the bending of the wood along the lower curve. When pressure is released the wood springs back into shape, propelling the Bounding Plyentwort forwards. Spikey growths along the bottom of these limbs help the Plyentwort grip the ground both when building up energy for a bound or when landing. When movement is not needed the organism can slowly lower itself, spreading its limbs out. This allows it to lower itself into shallow waters, where its tufts of long woody bristles can collect mud and detritus for absorption. The Bounding Plyentwort can also tip its body backwards to dip its mouth into the water. River and wetland scavengers like Spineless Toadtuga tadpoles and Muckwater Fraboos, drawn by the smell of blood, will then wander in and be eaten. When competition for sunlight increases the organism will generally stay upright and may even move when this alone is not enough.

As winter in the Vivus Subcontinent turns to spring the female Bounding Plyentworts will migrate back to the rivers and marshlands first. After these females have had time to return the male Plyentworts will await westward and southwestward winds to release their spores into. These hardy spores are carried far away into the awaiting mouths of female Bounding Plyentworts, which fertilize the spores. These too are ejected high into the air, though nowhere near as far as their spore forms. In their juvenile form Bounding Plyentworts have three large spoon-shaped limbs made of very thin wood which act as parachutes to slow their descent. Using its singular eye and leaves a juvenile can steer itself in the air to land in the water. Using their developing limbs to swim, they will make their way to the shallows.

Unlike the Leafy Plyentwort the Bounding Plyentwort retains its single eye past the juvenile stage. Although quite simple, the organ assists it in navigating during the yearly migration to the Viridian Hot Springs.

This post has been edited by Clayren2:Electric Boogaloo: Jul 10 2021, 06:37 PM

Haplotoke Gushlych (Erythroneustocroton synagosomaphorus)

Creator: Giant Blue Anteater
Ancestor: Gushlych
Habitat: Maineiac Polar Coast, Maineiac Polar Beach, Bumpy Polar Coast, Bumpy Polar Beach, Justin Polar Shallows, North LadyM Polar Ocean Sunlight Zone, North Jujubee Polar Ocean Sunlight Zone
Size: 6 cm long
Support: Unknown
Diet: Haemotroph (Carpozoan blood)
Respiration: Unknown
Thermoregulation: Unknown
Reproduction: Sexual, budded haploid bodies, one gender

The Haplotoke Gushlych has split from the Gushlych in the Maineiac continent. It owes its name to a new, revolutionary reproductive mechanism: it now reproduces sexually. Rather than budding larval clones of itself, the same organ responsible for this activity instead engages in meiotic activity that buds spherical, multicellular haploid bodies that, once expelled, must come in contact with another haploid mass. When this happens, the two haploid bodies then fuse together to form a diploid organism, which is a miniature version of the adult form. These haploid bodies shall be named haplotokes. These are released during the summer spawning season, with the juveniles forming from them feeding alongside the adults during the fall before all migrating closer to the shore, burying themselves during winter hibernation.

The result of this sexual revolution is greater variation in the offspring, with the more successful variants being able to distribute their favorable traits throughout the entire population as opposed to flying asexually blind into the next generation hoping the next cohort can adapt to the circumstances of its world.

This has supercharged evolutionary change—among of which is the transformation of the legs into swimming flippers, lined with setae to push against water more viscous at its size, with the three digits on each foot moving to the underside, being useful only for grasping terrain returning to the water, with the result of all of this being that this species is mainly aquatic as opposed to its ancestor. Additionally, the spines along its back become modified into makeshift dorsal fins, enabling greater stability. The abdominal segment becomes flattened and spade-like, likewise giving the organism further stability. The mandibles, in addition to allowing a degree of steering, grasp the skin of the host when the organism rams its rostrum into it. This is then followed by a retractable proboscis piercing the skin, sliding in like a hypodermic needle to draw blood. The proboscis is curved in shape, enabling the organism to remain hooked to the host's skin until sated. This organism feeds exclusively on carpozoan blood, as it is more compatible biologically than anipede blood.

What's more, this species's penchant for carpozoan blood has led it to a particular warm host: the wolvershrog, latching onto swimming individuals then traveling with them back to their nests strewn across the North Jujubee and LadyM Polar Oceans before detaching itself, crawling off the deck and then swimming off. This has enabled it to spread from beyond Maineiac, becoming such the parasitic nuisance all across Sagan 4's north polar waters below the North Sagan 4 Ice Sheet.

There is now a set number of chemoreceptive patches used to locate hosts, which is eight on each side of the head, adding up to sixteen patches per organism.

This post has been edited by Giant Blue Anteater: Aug 21 2021, 08:51 PM

Common Gilltails (Branchioura spp.)

Creator: MNIDJM
Ancestor: Gilltail (Branchioura silverus)
Habitat: Global (Marine)
Size:10 - 20 cm Long
Support: ?
Diet: Planktivore (0.05-20 millimeters), Omnivore (Swarmerweed, Scuttlers, Chainswarmers, Minifee, Miniwhorls, Miniswarmers, Mistswarmers, Krillpedes, Microswarmers, Whip Swarmers, Swarmerkings, Flovars, Floatfilms)
Respiration: Semi-Active (Gill System)
Thermoregulation: Ectothermic
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Eggs into Ice, Rocks, or Sand

The [[gilltail|gilltails]] are an ancient lineage,first arising from the [[silverling|silverlings]] in the marine waters of Sagan 4 over 125 million years ago. Since that time, various populations of gilltails split into numerous species and genuses, filling various niches from tiny freshwater bottom-feeders, to titanic baleen hunter, from the deepest depth, to the skies. However, not all populations sought out a new way of life. These species are all a member of a lineage known as '''common gilltails''', a basal forme genus that leaned towards maintaining the same general body plan and niche as a successful method of survival. This group includes the now superseded ancestral gilltail, which has branched into three dozen divergent, yet closely related, species. These species are defined mainly by the habitat where they breed, as instinct drives them to return to the habitat in which they were born, isolating them from other common gilltail populations and allowing drift.

Every species in the genus is migratory, typically entering equatorial waters during the winter before returning to the polar waters during summer months to breed. They live in large shoals, relying on their reflective counter-coloration to help break up their outlines and sheer numbers to protect them from predation. They hunt many sagani planktoids, such as the various swarmers, krillpedes, non-poisonous species of minifee among others. When in the polar regions the microbes bloom and the small filter feeders populations get huge for them to eat. They themselves are common prey of various organisms, acting as an abundant food source in the summer months for higher trophic level species.

===Integrated Species===
* [[Gilltail]]

Sunleechers (Solisanguis spp.)

Creator: MNIDJM
Ancestor: Sunleecher (Solisanguis symbiosis)
Habitat: Global (Marine)
Size: 200 um wide individuals
Support: Cell Wall
Diet: Photosynthesis, Hematophagy ([[Sagavermes]] Blood)
Respiration:
Thermoregulation: Exothermic
Reproduction: Binary Fission

The '''sunleechers''' are a diverse group of photosynthetic microbes, that will latch on to the respiratory systems of various [[sagavermes]] species to leech off the blood to gain nutrients. When in the open water, they will sustain themselves on photosynthesis alone. This changes when they come in contact with the respiratory systems of [[sagavermes]]. They float passively, and are unable to dected hosts, relying on chance alone to come into contact with hosts. Once they are inhaled by a sagavermes, such as a [[beakworm|gilltail]], [[scuttlecrabs]], [[|sauceback|saucebacks]] among others, they will attach themselves to the gills or breathing apparatuses with nematocysts on the sides of their cell walls. From there they will grow into thick mats that eventually cover the lining of the gills or breathing apparatuses entirely. To prevent them from immediately killing the host, the sunleechers will provide the infected tissue with oxygen that they produce as a by-product of their photosynthesis. This can be less effective depending on the area of the body infected or the depth of water that the host is living in. Eventually these infections favor towards reaching an equilibrium with there hosts, not growing so large as to kill the host, but various environmental or quirks of mutation can sometimes cause strains of these organisms to become more virulent, resulting in some species developing deadlier behaviors.

This genus is rather diverse, with hundreds of species ranging from those highly specialized to a specific host species, or more generalized strains. They can be found in all waters inhabited by sagavermes that also have access to sunlight, with the deepest depth available to the being the twilight zones of the oceans. They are highly prolific, and make up up to 0.5% of all phytoplanktiods, spread throughout the oceans and river systems thanks to fauna such as the [[Common Gilltails|commongilltails]], [[Larvaback|larvabacks]], and [[frabukis]] among others.

===Integrated Species===
* [[Sunleecher]]

Duramceri (Pseudoaperus foedus)
Ancestor: Duramboar
Habitat: Fermi Desert, Fermi Tundra (rarely)
Diet: Herbivore (Sunstalks, Sunleaves, Fermi Sunstalk, Greysnip tubers, Dalmatian Spinetower tubers, Candletower secondary tubers, Saturntower tubers, Greyblades roots, Bonespire roots, Spinetower roots, Umbrosa roots) Larvae: Herbivore, Detritivore
Size: 1.2 meters long
Respiration: Active, Oxygen
Support System: Bone Endoskeleton
Temperature: Adults: Mesothermic, Giganotothermic; Larvae: Endothermic (Low Temperatures)
Reproduction: Spawning in Water, Frog-Like Eggs Incubated in Male Bladlap Apparatus

(Image depicts a female.)

Duramceri superficially resemble even fattier Duramboars, which they replace. Other than their fattier bodies, their biggest differences are internal adaptations for cold, dry conditions and reproductive developments, namely the larval development stages and the connection between male Duramceris’ dewlaps and bladders.

Duramceris’ huge, fatty, dark-colored bodies allow them to gain heat fairly quickly, and lose it fairly slowly. Their large, rounded bodies make them so good at holding onto heat that they may, at times, risk overheating during hot days after sustained running from predators. When this happens, they increase blood circulation to their shoulder-spikes and thigh-spikes, making them a redder shade and releasing them to the surrounding air. Only the shoulder spikes contain bony elements: the thigh spikes are keratinous structures similar to iguana spikes, with an inner core of spongy tissue connected to the vascular system. The blood supply to the spikes can be constricted to reduce heat loss in the cold.

Their necks are not particularly flexible: it was unnecessary for it to be too flexible, due to having six eyes and a wide span of vision.

Males have slightly longer lower teeth. Since they don’t poke out of the mouth, they aren’t quite tusks.

Duramceris migrate between latitudes as the seasons change.

---Reproduction---

Male Duramceris' bladder-dewlap apparatus ("bladlap apparatus") is used to incubate eggs and larvae. After Duramceri spawn in shallow pools of water, the males shall take eggs he’s fertilized into his bladder. It is somewhat akin to gastric brooding frogs incubating young in their stomachs, although a different organ is used. Until the larvae hatch, the father Duramceri cannot urinate, although the large storage capacity of the bladder delays really needing to for a few days. The eggs hatch faster than Duramboar eggs, and as tiny, immature larvae, the young move from the bladder into the dewlap, and the ducts connecting the two organs constrict after their passage. At this point, male Duramboars can urinate.

Retaining the larvae within the bladlap apparatus means less water is used through the course of their development: a useful trait in the desert. The males have remarkably large bladders while incubating young. They are not nourished within the bladlap apparatus; they depend on stores of yolk provisioned from within the egg. Within his body, the larvae are kept warmer than they would in shallow ponds, which accelerates their development. The larvae moving between the organs is sometimes uncomfortable, as clear from the father’s grimacing and slight shuffling. Since the travel is quick and the pain not so severe it puts him at risk of predators, however, there has been no evolutionary pressure for their bodies to change.

Females’ urinary openings are moved up onto their underbellies rather than under their tails, as a side effect of bladlap apparatus development. Their bladders are not connected anywhere unusual, however.

---Growth of the Young---

Duramceris give birth within days of each other in late spring. Duramceris birth 3-5 young at a time: an adaptation to having several predators. The young are born tiny (2-3 cm) with no body spikes (a constraint from the small openings they emerge from), and look mostly like tiny, less-fatty, lengthier adults with a little tadpole-like tail membrane that is soon reabsorbed.

Duramceri young grow to 40 cm shockingly quickly, and maintain a somewhat slower but still fast pace of growth to 60 cm. Before reaching 60 cm, the young are extra-skittish and hard to spot, rarely straying far from the legs of adults. The young are voracious but picky, craving more nutritious food than the adults do. The voraciousness from their high metabolism inclines them to eat almost constantly. Duramceris are somewhat cooperative, and the adults do not mind if the young eat some of the tubers they dig up. The quick growth of newborns reduces how long they are vulnerable to snapperkies, a major predator of the young. Below about 20 cm, they are too small to access their preferred foods quickly with some measure of safety, so their voraciousness leads them to consume undigested remnants of food from the dung of adult Duramceris. The practice is somewhat similar to that of young elephants and young hippopotamuses eating the dung of adults of their species. Young Duramceris' high growth rates compel them to eat high amounts of calcium. If their diets or dirt from tubers and roots cannot sustain them, they will gnaw on bones and bark and even swallow clumps of dirt.

Born far too small to make use of giganotothermy or the insulation of fat, the young (birth to about 60 cm) are somewhat endothermic, like tegus, and bask on any warm rocks near the herd to heat themselves up more. They can maintain their body temperatures up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit higher than their surroundings. As they grow, they lose their relative endothermy.

---Other Details---

The development of bladlap incubation has made it less useful to migrate to the tundra, as a formerly low-predator environment that also has low volumes of food it can eat. Indeed, by living outside the tundra, it is able to avoid [[Snowstalker Tuskent]]s entirely. However, due to being migratory but not having especially fine-tuned navigational senses to avoid overshooting, some end up in Fermi Tundra occasionally anyway, before eventually moving on in search of more food.

Duramceri live most densely at oases and “savannas”. They avoid the temperate beaches, not from a lack of food or adaptations but because the beaches have so many predators.

They live in small herds, typically 6-8 adults, which periodically splits off as it gets too large. Duramceris have tough, thick skin, and blood vessels which constrict in cold temperatures. The spikes pale in the cold. Like its ancestor, the flap of skin over its nostrils can be used to protect its nostrils from dust storms or colony stalk defense phytids, though it prefers to not eat colony stalks due to being unable to protect its eyes, too.

Toes

Unlike its ancestor, it only has two toes per foot: one in the front, and one in the back. Its migratory lifestyle and dependence on speed (and to a lesser extent, its bulk) to deal with predators has led to the loss of its toes, in a similar way to the evolution of horses. Its hooves are constantly growing and must be worn down through travel on rough terrain.

Shrogsnapper (Densarieschelys rupturavenari)

Creator: Mnidjm
Ancestor: Chumsnapper (Discuplacachelys aquachumus)
Habitat: Elerd Temperate Coast, Chum Tropical Coast, Huggs Salt Marsh, BioCat Salt Swamp
Size: 3.8 m Long
Support: Endoskeleton (Bones)
Diet: Adult: Carnivore (Seashrog, Pirate Waxface, Stonebeak Phlyer, Shailnitor, Shorelance, Hustlyn, Shipper Buoyskin, Nagraj, Wadesnapper, Horned Landlubber); Young: Omnivore (Marbleflora, Common Gilltails)
Respiration: Active (Lungs)
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm (Basking)
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Eggs into Sand

The '''shrogsnapper''' gets it's name from their primary hunting method. They have specialized to hunt [[seashrog]]s, which they will do by diving below seashrog rafts, and quickly breaching underneath the rafts in an attempt to cause the raft to capsize. They will then attempt to drown any organisms they find on the raft, be it a seashrog or a [[Pirate Waxface|pirate waxface]], or any medium to large organism found on it. To aid in this, their front teeth have become more front facing and deep set into their skulls and jaws, allowing them to act as a slice to cut thru the raft seams. Their skulls have zig-zagging sutures allong the structure and spongiform structures to prevent as much trauma affecting the brain.

They breed in the early spring, and will return to the saltwater wetlands of the east central Dixon-Darwin to lay their eggs. Their breeding grounds have not spread far from the waterways of the BioCat-Huggs river system, as they are instinctually drawn to breed in the same location of their birth. They have however seen a subpopulation begin to lay their eggs in the [[|BioCat Salt Swamp|BioCat swamplands]]. While this has the potential to cause a speciation event, breeding is done outside the wetlands in the coastal waters, so there is still signifigant cross exchange between the Huggs stock and the BioCat stock.

At first, the shrogsnapper was an offshoot population of their ancestor. The [[chumsnapper]]s maintained themselves in the Huggs Salt Marsh and even had multiple crossbreeding events, as the shrogsnapper uses Huggs as a breeding ground. However as speciation became of overt and the shrogsnapper grew more robust, the remnant populations couldn't compete for breeding grounds. the male lineages of chumsnappers slowly were outcompeted by male shrogsnappers, until all pureblooded lineages became extinct, and with them the last chumsnappers were absorbed into the shrogsnapper genepool.