Sagan 4 Forum [Menu]

Earwax Caonach (Cerumenachus multicolor)
Creator: Coolsteph
Ancestor: Wright Caonach
Habitat: Ovi-Dixon Montane Desert, Dixon Montane Steppe, Ovi Montane Steppe
Size: 2 mm thick, 50 mm wide
Diet: Photosynthesis
Respiration: Passive Diffusion
Thermoregulation: Ectotherm
Reproduction: Asexual (Cell-level Binary Fission and Genetic Exchange, Primitive Budding), Sexual (Hyphal Fusion; Waxy Propagules)

Earwax Caonaches grow in an encrusting pattern on rocks. With its chalky-looking protective wax and tiny orangish hairs, it resembles a thin layer of technicolor earwax. It is very well-adapted for the harsh conditions of intense UV light, heat, cold, and wind: it secretes a chalky, pale-yellow wax studded with hairs, which collectively protect against excess UV light and forms a barrier against desiccation, cold, and wind. The wax functions to repel frost by keeping moisture largely on the hairs, and keeping any water that freezes on top of it away from living tissue. These adaptations give it some resistance to frost as well, although, with the state of the planet’s climate at time of evolution and the aridity of its habitats, this is a rare occurrence.

At time of evolution, no other local organisms grow in its habitats: just genus groups. In some especially rocky valleys in Ovi-Dixon Montane Desert in particular, Earwax Caonaches can grow in such abundance as to dominate the local ecology. Traversing such valleys is somewhat painful for anything with human-like color vision because of Earwax Caonachs’ bright, garish colors.

At time of evolution, they tend to grow on the north side of rocks, although this is not consistent enough to make it a reliable aid in navigation.

Earwax Caonaches are structurally somewhat similar to the encrusting lichens of Earth. The Carpetesta components create a network of threads that holds the algae-like partners, the Violet Mat-descended cell line, in place. (REVISE)The Krakowhexia (REVISE) components are essential to its survival, as it produces the protective hairs and most of the ingredients of its chalky wax. The pigments and minor wax components are made by its Violet Mat-descended components. The Krakowhexia line often dies first: it functions as a sort of protective skin. The Krakowhexian cells are highly specialized in their role as protective hairs and wax generators, and are much, much longer than free-living Krakowhexians. Part of the Krakowhexian cells are embedded within the colony, much like human hair roots are hidden within the skin. Earwax Caonaches continue to hold onto dead Krakowhexian hairs for protection until they can grow replacements.

Earwax Caonaches typically reproduce asexually through simple budding. However, due to Earwax Caonaches’ very harsh, unstable environment, sexual reproduction was deeply useful, and it eventually developed as a product of previous cell-level genetic exchange mechanisms.

First, the edges of a colony meet with each other, and one slightly overgrows the other to create an extra-waxy, spherical enclosure. The Carpetesa members attach the tips of their cellular “tentacles” together and merge nuclei. (The process is similar to fusion of hyphae in basidomycete fungi.) The Violet Mat-descended members then reproduce similarly. The Krakowhexian process is more complicated, since it consists of a cell that consumed another in a mitochondria and eukaryote cell-like relationship, and their reproduction takes a little longer. Once zygote formation is complete, it is enclosed in a tiny waxy ball. The waxy ball is then gradually broken off and disperses, typically by being carried by the wind until it hits a rock.

It has notable horizontal gene transfers, though it is still a rare occurrence. Most horizontal gene transfers are between the members of the lichen-like superorganism, although a few genes have been picked up from arid Shootstems species, which are distantly related to the Violet Mat components of Earwax Caonaches.

Fun fact: The first draft of the description was made in February 22, 2021: 2 years and 25 days ago.
Another fun fact: parts of the original colored lineart were retained in this picture. I was originally going to go all-digital using the first art as a model, but it was really missing something without the graininess of the original.

EDIT: Incidentally, as it did happen to live in a neglected biome, I marked it as such. The original subtitle was: "Not Fried; Grilled (In Desert Heat)", in reference to Disgustedorite once calling the original image "deep fried".