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Name: Copperspike
Xystona Sarrisa
Creator: HethrJarrod
Ancestor: Copperhead Octothermia
Habitat: Otter Vents
Size: 20 mm long
Support: Copper-Infused Cell Wall
Diet: Chemosynthesis (Sulfur, Copper), Thermosynthesis
Respiration: Unknown
Thermoregulation: Unknown
Reproduction: Binary Fission/ Asexual Budding

The Copperspike split from its ancestor, the Octothermia. Forming from Copperhead Octotherma that drifted on the currents to the Otter Vents and stacked together, it formed a long spike surrounded by a copper-infused cell wall. Like its ancestor, the Copperspike can withstand volcanic temperatures. The copperspike has small spikes on the bottom that allow it to attach itself firmly to the rock around hydrothermal vents.

Thermophagy

A notable feature of the Copperspike is its Thermosynthesis. The consumption of the heat energy in the area around the hydrothermal vents, and converting it into energy that a living organism can use. To do this, the Copperspike has tiny organelles called Thermoplasts.

Thermoplasts are flakes of copper and other metals that are attached to a nonmetallic center.


(thermoplast)

At the hottest part of the Copperspike, the bottom, the thermoplasts absorb a small charge and heat energy. The thermoplasts then migrates to the colder region of the Copperspike at the top. At the top the thermoplast releases its energy, which includes a small amount of additional energy that it got from absorbing the heat. This is called the thermogalvanic effect which uses thermally regenerated cycles (TREC): discharging the battery (thermoplast) at a lower temperature and charging back at a higher temperature. If the charging voltage at the higher temperature is lower than the discharging voltage at the lower temperature, net energy is produced by the voltage difference, originating from heat absorbed at the higher temperature.




Reproduction

When the Copperspike has reached a size of 20 mm, it will begin twisting itself at a point about half-way up the copperspike, dividing off the top part until it finally breaks off. This piece will be carried by the current to a new location where it will attach itself to the rock and begin feeding off of the heat.

This post has been edited by HethrJarrod: Aug 13 2022, 11:46 AM

I was going to ask about how its metabolism would have evolved when I noticed a more important detail. The Sagan 4 wiki and forum does not appear to have a record of a "Copperhead Octotherma". Was there a mistake? Did you intend to make a retroactive-submission, and erroneously submitted this first? If so, it would be best to wait for the retroactive submission to be approved before posting this.

Copperhead Octothermia
:facepalm:

QUOTE (Coolsteph @ Aug 12 2022, 08:24 PM)

I was going to ask about how its metabolism would have evolved when I noticed a more important detail. The Sagan 4 wiki and forum does not appear to have a record of a "Copperhead Octotherma". Was there a mistake? Did you intend to make a retroactive-submission, and erroneously submitted this first? If so, it would be best to wait for the retroactive submission to be approved before posting this.

From its grandcestor Protohydroia Octotherma

QUOTE

It gets its energy from these as well as the geothermic heat given off from the vents and hot springs.

This post has been edited by HethrJarrod: Aug 12 2022, 05:34 PM

Ah. It was a missing "i" in Octothermia. "Octothermia" and "Octherma" are subtly different.

The Protohydroia Octherma's description says it gains energy from heat, but its diet doesn't list this. There could be plausibility issues with microbes gaining energy from heat directly, although colony-level metabolism might be a workaround. This shall be discussed as a potential retcon or biology issue.

EDIT: This has been brought up for discussion.

Octherma was supposed to be doing chemosynthesis with sulfur, presumably requiring heat for the reaction. It was just poorly worded.

This is a collection of many cells, not just a single microbe.

There's also the Volcansheet and Volcanic Voltflora's thermovory

QUOTE (Coolsteph @ Aug 12 2022, 09:46 PM)

Ah. It was a missing "i" in Octothermia. "Octothermia" and "Octherma" are subtly different. The Protohydroia Octherma's description says it gains energy from heat, but its diet doesn't list this. There could be plausibility issues with microbes gaining energy from heat directly, although colony-level metabolism might be a workaround. This shall be discussed as a potential retcon or biology issue. EDIT: This has been brought up for discussion.

We literally have a rule titled "But they did it!" which states that just because someone else made an implausible organism doesn't mean you can

QUOTE (Disgustedorite @ Aug 13 2022, 10:00 AM)

We literally have a rule titled "But they did it!" which states that just because someone else made an implausible organism doesn't mean you can

I’m not saying “but they did it”

1. Thermotrophy is not implausible.

2. The thermotrophic process used by the Copperspike is described in better detail than previous cases.
And remains realistic.

Article on Thermosynthesis:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermosynthesis

The Thermogalvanic effect:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/artic...013468618312192

If you're using a theoretical process, I think it may be important to describe its mechanism of functioning and its limits. You're straying into essentially uncharted territory.

It seems this highly unusual metabolic process of uncertain biological plausibility has greatly slowed down the rate of approval.

I am aware of three options:

1. Remove thermosynthesis, with the remaining traits making it a very large colony (?) of highly heat-resistant, copper-using microbes.
2. Overhaul the description to make use of thermosynthesis as plausible as possible, with this link (https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/35201/thermosynthetic-life-form) as a possible source.
3. Graveyard the submission, since overhauls would greatly change the nature of the submission anyway, to the point it's like a new organism.

I'm okay with graveyarding this.

The coppertop caves kinda work similar...but are more like 1

QUOTE (Coolsteph @ Sep 10 2022, 09:28 AM)

It seems this highly unusual metabolic process of uncertain biological plausibility has greatly slowed down the rate of approval. I am aware of three options: 1. Remove thermosynthesis, with the remaining traits making it a very large colony (?) of highly heat-resistant, copper-using microbes. 2. Overhaul the description to make use of thermosynthesis as plausible as possible, with this link (https://worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/35201/thermosynthetic-life-form) as a possible source. 3. Graveyard the submission, since overhauls would greatly change the nature of the submission anyway, to the point it's like a new organism.