Sagan 4 Forum [Menu]

Please post your submissions in this child forum and not in this thread. If your organism is approved, one of us will add it to this thread.

Please put the generation number in the thread title.

Post 80 per generation

Chainswarmers (Catenamancerxia spp)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Swarmerkings
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 100-500 micrometer long individuals, 1-10 cm long outstretched colony
Diet: Photosynthesis, Nitrogen-Fixing
Reproduction: Sexual (male and female, spawning), Asexual (budding)

Chainswarmers split from their ancestor and developed their colonial nature further. Instead of forming balls with a tight center, individuals which get stuck together form incredibly long hollow worm-like chains. The chains are generally curled into tight spirals, especially in species which form very large colonies, but can stretch out into a line to be broken up for dispersal or to swim or crawl away from predators. Like their ancestor, they perform photosynthesis and fix nitrogen.

Chainswarmers live anywhere where there is water and sunlight. They generally float at or near the surface, their colonies forming important macro-level phytoplankton for filter feeders in the sunlight zone. They also live in freshwater environments. When they are taken out of water, such as at low tide or after a flood, the Chainswarmer colonies will coordinate to slither back to the water so that they do not dry out--a behavior which immediately distinguishes them from the sessile Terran algae they otherwise resemble. They will also uncurl to swim away from predators, though they are not always successful. Their colonies have hollow centers, which are typically filled with water serving as a hydrostatic skeleton for the colony.

Chainswarmer individuals have developed the ability to bud. They do so in a similar manner to their distant ancestor the [[Mancerxia Florapod]], except that the budded offspring immediately join the colony if they are in one. This allows colonies to grow quickly rather than having to depend on finding more Chainswarmer individuals to incorporate. Colonies can also “bud” through the development of a branch in the chain, which eventually breaks off. Chainswarmer individuals retain the ability to spawn, releasing gametes from their mouths into the surrounding water. Unlike their ancestor, Chainswarmers do not form colonies with different species.

There are many species of Chainswarmer. In general, polar species tend to be darker in color to cope with the cold and dim lighting. They can exist in freshwater habitats and can serve as the base for many ecosystems.

This post has been edited by MNIDJM: Jul 11 2020, 11:51 PM

Seashrog (Lutrasorex dracops)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Tamjack
Habitat: Jujubee Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), South Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), LadyM Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North LadyM Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), South LadyM Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Soma Temperate Coast, Maineiac Temperate Coast, Oz Temperate Coast, Hydro Tropical Coast, Fly Tropical Shallows, King Tropical Coast, Chum Tropical Coast, Jlindy Tropical Coast, BigL Tropical Coast, Dass Temperate Coast, Wind Temperate Coast, Clarke Temperate Coast, Elerd Temperate Coast, Fermi Temperate Coast, Soma Temperate Beach, Maineiac Temperate Beach, Oz Temperate Beach, Hydro Tropical Beach, King Tropical Beach, Chum Tropical Beach, Jlindy Tropical Beach, BigL Tropical Beach, Dass Temperate Beach, Wind Temperate Beach, Clarke Temperate Beach, Elerd Temperate Beach, Fermi Temperate Beach, Ramul Temperate Beach
Size: 2 meters long
Diet: Omnivore ([[Scuttleball Gillfin]], [[Royal Scylarian]], [[Greater Wolley]], [[Bigmouth Strainerbeak]], [[Ceryco]], [[Eastward Landlubber]], [[Munchicanth]], [[Cerulean Gillfin]], [[Bejeweled Emperor Scylarian]], [[School Shocker]], [[Torpcoat]], [[Southern Strainerbeak]], [[Southern Gillfin]], [[Needlenose Scylarian]], [[Shieldscooter]], [[Sikai]], [[Serpentinuscooter]], [[Sardchovy]], [[Coastrunner Bandersnatch]], [[Shardscale]], [[Crushermaw Scylarian]], [[Floor Onamor]], [[Spineflipper]], [[Aqueryn]], [[Aabaalki]], [[Hustlyn]], [[Serpungo]], [[Shadow Seaswimmer]], [[Amphibidoon]], [[Grazhun]], [[Spotted Shocker]], [[Rusty Seaswimmer]], [[Bloodfin Scylarian]], [[Seamaster Seaswimmer]], [[Sealyn]], [[Swarmerscooter]], [[Arostrolarian]], [[Plesican]], [[Protelareous]], [[Cornularian]], [[Inland Fuzzpalm]], [[Olltooka]], [[Greater Droopgea]], [[Pinprong]], [[Marbleflora]], [[Snotflora]], [[Pioneer Raftballs]], [[Colonial Bobiiro]], [[Ouchiiro]], [[Carnosprawl]], [[Globby Boneflora]], [[Shellflora]], [[Bonecorus]], [[Blooblblega]], [[Carnurtain]], [[Shellise]], [[Chambered Bubblegea]], [[Colonial Calmstrum]], [[Crowngea]], [[Fermi Tuffdra]], [[Sum-Humgrove]], [[Bonebuoy]], [[Boneweed]], [[Beach Puffgrass]], [[Crowned Kingrush]], [[Mangot]], [[Qupe Tree]], [[Fuzzweed]], [[Lurpincer]], [[Baebula]], [[Gumjorn]], [[Chainswarmers|Chainwarmer]] chains, [[Stalk Rastum]] (recreationally))
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth, Pouch and Milk)

The '''Seashrog''' replaced [[Tamjack|its ancestor]] and developed omnivory and tool use. Originating as an accidental discovery, the Seashrog learned to craft spears by cutting sticks at an angle. Initially, these were used for self-defense, but before long the Seashrog started using them for something new--spearfishing. It was able to develop the dexterity to accomplish this as an inevitable conclusion of its existing advanced nest-building skills.

==Anatomy==
The Seashrog retains the general otter-shaped build of its ancestor, though with significantly stronger and more dexterous forelimbs. It has opposable thumbs which can lie flat with the other digits when used for walking or reversed to grasp spears or nest-building materials. Its hand anatomy resembles that of a Terran primate at a glance, but it lacks the ability to properly support its weight while gripping, as the ability to grasp was developed independently of any arboreal lifestyle. It no longer has spikes on its underside, as they offered limited advantage and made mating more difficult.

Though dexterous, the Seashrog does not have the fine motor skill to use small tools. To hunt, all it needs is the ability to hold onto a really long stick and thrust it really hard; when presented with finer tools, such as a dagger, the Seashrog would not know what to do with it, and even if it did it would be rather clumsy with it. It’s simply designed to work with spears and nothing else.

The Seashrog has developed the ability to close its pouch, allowing females with pouch young to leave the nest and swim without drowning them. The male also now has a pouch, which protects his genitalia and streamlines that general part of his body. The pouch is not held closed while out of water, as being watertight also makes it airtight--keeping it closed will cause pouch young to suffocate.

The Seashrog’s spikes and tail axe now have dense bone cores. Though this makes it a slower swimmer, its fluffy fur coat holds in air well enough that it doesn’t sink. This change not only makes its tail axe more effective for cutting down trees, as it has more weight to it and retains its strength even while soaked, but also allows the Seashrog to use its tail axe as a heavy counterbalance while struggling with especially large prey. It swims less than its ancestor did, partly because it’s more difficult and partly because it simply doesn’t always need to.

==Behavior==
The Seashrog lives alone or in mated pairs with joeys. It is generally non-aggressive, at least to creatures that do not resemble its predators. It defends itself against predators using spears, which function as a spacing weapon to prevent them from approaching too closely, much like the antlers of a Terran deer.

The Seashrog has been known to consume flora that cause hallucinations, such as the [[Stalk Rastum]], for recreational purposes, not unlike a Terran dolphin.

===Vocalization===
Seashrogs are vocal creatures and have a variety of calls. A short bark serves to grab another Seashrog’s attention and is usually followed by another sound. Such sounds include “akakak” (“this is mine/not yours”), “eeboor” (“come here”), “areeereeeeer” (“I’m in danger/watch out”), “burbur” (“hello”), and a long whine indicating pain. The attention bark can be modified with inflections to form names to call to a specific individual, generally used by parents to call out to specific joeys.

The Seashrog’s mating call is a long “brbrbrbrbrbrbree”, usually repeated three or four times. For a Seashrog without a mate, it essentially means “I’m looking for a mate”, while if it already has a mate it means “I want to mate”. Living out at sea with no vegetation to hide in, Seashrogs don’t have to worry about predators hearing them which would not have already seen them anyway, so they are fairly vocal while mating, making noises similar to those of squeaky toys.

===Diet and Spear Usage===
The Seashrog is an omnivore, unlike its ancestor, as living out at sea as an obligate herbivore was ultimately unsustainable. As it also cannot survive on meat alone, it stores edible flora it gathered at the shore or found out at sea inside its nest for later consumption.

The Seashrog makes use of wooden spears, typically made from obsidian wood. These were discovered by accident during nest construction sometime during the Seashrog’s early evolution, and they are crafted by striking straight pieces of wood at an angle with its axe tail. The original purpose of the spear was self-defense, as it made a better spacing weapon than the tail-axe, but it was eventually exapted for hunting when the Seashrog developed its omnivory.

To hunt for meat, the Seashrog stands at the edge of its nest and watches for aquatic fauna to pass underneath. When it sees something edible, it thrusts its spear into the water, impaling it. Using its heavy axe-tail to keep its balance, it then pulls the catch out of the water and onto the deck. If the initial strike did not kill its catch, it will either wait for it to suffocate or dispatch it with a bite to the head or neck. It will then call to summon its mate and joeys if it has them, and once all Seashrogs present have eaten their fill, the leftovers are dried out in the sun and stored inside the nest.

The Seashrog will also use its spear to snag oceanic flora and bring it aboard, through a similar motion to stabbing prey. This allows it to gather food without ever leaving its nest, though it may still do so if it’s low on supplies and sees food which is too far away. Similarly to how it treats leftover meat, it will dry out the flora it collects in the sun before storing it away.

===Nest===
The Seashrog, like its ancestor, constructs floating boat-like nests using flora it cuts down with its tail. The Seashrog’s nests, however, differ from its ancestor’s to better facilitate spearfishing--rather than squashed spheres with a hole on top, they are boat-like half-spheres with a deck.

The beginning of construction is relatively unchanged--the Seashrog chops down trees such as the [[Mainland Fuzzpalm]] and [[Obsidibend]] which have flexible trunks and bends them to form ribs for the nest. However, instead of bending them into half-circles, the Seashrog only bends them part way so that when they are joined on one end they don’t meet on the other. Once the ribs have dried, the Seashrog then lays a few long straight logs or strips of wood on top in one direction to form support, then lays down more perpendicularly to them to create the deck. The deck has a hole in the center, which serves as the entrance to the nest. The entrance is covered by a simple lid constructed of sticks. If at this stage some part of the deck is too weak, additional pieces of wood may be brought inside to serve as vertical support beams. The preferred wood for the deck and support beams are generally that of denser material, such as Cocobarrage wood. All parts of the nest are sealed together using saliva and Mainland Fuzzpalm berries. While its ancestor coated the exterior in various flora, the Seashrog coats the interior as well to serve as padding during rough storms. Inland Fuzzpalm leaves are preferred for their insulating properties. The deck has no flora covering it to reduce exposure to potentially harmful microbes, with the exception of the part surrounding the entrance to help keep the lid in place during storms.

The Seashrog has advanced its ancestor’s habit of storing Fuzzpalm berries into general food and supply storage. A section of the nest interior is dedicated to stockpiling food, nest maintenance supplies, and spears. Nest maintenance supplies consist of Mainland Fuzzpalm berries, driftwood, leaves, and leftover pieces of wood from the nest’s original construction. Parts of spears can also be used to repair damage to the nest in a pinch, though this is not preferred as the Seashrog won’t be able to construct more spears until the next time its nest washes ashore.

===Reproduction===
The Shrog has many osteoderms on its face, hence its epithet ‘’dracops’’ (meaning “dragon-face”). Though the ones on its back are useful for defense, the ones on its face instead serve mainly for mate selection--a neat arrangement of well-formed face osteoderms indicates good health. Mate selection usually occurs on the beach, though potential mates can also be met out at sea. Males will compete for mating rights, typically engaging in ritual combat where they “head wrestle”: they press their heads together and their facial osteoderms interlock, and they try to throw one another to the ground. Notably, they actually consider their ritual combat to be fun--mated pairs may do it playfully while bored. The female will usually pick the winner of the ritual combat unless he is visibly unhealthy. To avoid their spikes, they mate belly-to-belly like many Terran spiny animals. If either one already has a nest they will move into it, usually the one which is in better condition if they both already have nests, transferring supplies stored in the other. If neither already has a nest, such as with young shrogs who have only recently left their parents’ nest, they will build one together. Though Seashrog joeys have a fairly high chance of surviving to adulthood, their massive range and lifestyle means significantly fewer will ever find a mate, and as such they lack a breeding season and mate often--the female is almost always either pregnant or nursing and can have dozens of joeys in her lifetime.

Like most Shrews, the Seashrog has a pouch and gives live birth to helpless joeys, though with their relatively long gestation period of 3 months the joeys are more comparable to the pinkies of a Terran mouse than to newborn joeys of Terran marsupials. Their shorter gestation period compared to their ancestor serves to accommodate a higher birth rate, increasing the chances that any of their offspring will find a mate themselves. The newborns stay in their mother’s pouch feeding on milk until their sharp osteoderms begin to grow, at which point they leave the pouch and are weaned. The joeys grow fairly slowly compared to their ancestor, due in part to the amount of time it takes to develop their brain, taking as long as 6 years to reach full size. However, they usually leave the nest around the age of 3, at which point they will be capable of independence and their parents will have younger offspring large enough to assist in nest maintenance. If their parents do not have more offspring by that point, they may stay around until they do or when their parents can’t tolerate them anymore and chase them off next landfall.

When they first leave their parents’ nest, young Seashrogs will live along the beach for a year or until they find a mate, feeding on beach- and coast-dwelling flora and fauna. If they do not find a mate in the first year, they will eventually construct a nest and go out alone, periodically trying again to find a mate whenever they make landfall. Seashrogs usually live up to 30 years, though an especially healthy and lucky individual can push 40.

Homosexuality has been observed in Seashrogs. Male-male pairs are more common in older individuals whose previous mates have died. Female-female pairs are different, and also serve as a reproductive outlet for solitary males. When out at sea, female-female pairs will intentionally keep watch for nests belonging to solitary males and male-male pairs. They will tempt the males to swim over to their nest to mate with them by letting out mating calls and imitating the vocalizations they make while mating. After mating, the males return to their own nest and the female-female pair raise any resulting joeys together.

==Intelligence==
The Seashrog is intelligent and self-aware, as well as possibly the smartest shrew since the extinct [[Lemupus]]. It passes the mirror test and can be taught to understand basic language on a similar level to a Terran dog, though it cannot learn to speak. It can be compared to a terran Chimpanzee in “advancement”, but there is one very important distinction--as it does not live in groups, the Seashrog is severely lacking in social intelligence. Though mated pairs will stay together and can even work together to defend themselves or catch especially difficult prey, any large group of Seashrogs is unsustainable--without any hierarchy instinct, they will eventually become too stressed and start fighting over mates and resources until the group collapses. They also lack any kind of language beyond instinctive grunts and barks, so they are incapable of communicating ideas. Though smart enough to build a boat and hunt with spears, they cannot even begin to form a culture or a collective imagination. As such, though one could make an argument that they are “sapient” the way a Terran ape or crow is, they are not sophont like a human nor like their extinct distant relative the [[Nomad]].

That said, the Seashrog is not to be underestimated. While not dexterous enough to use fine tools, it is easily capable of improvising weapons to defend itself or its offspring. While the general construction of the boat-nest is powered by instinct and experience in their parents’ nest, individual Seashrogs may use their experience to make personal modifications to theirs, such as sliding spears between the ribs to serve as defense against large predators.

==Relationships with Other Species==
The Seashrog is in a mutualistic relationship with the [[Cleaner Borvermid]], which keeps its nest clean of harmful vermees and epiphytic flora. As such, the Cleaner Borvermid has spread throughout the Seashrog’s entire range. It has also spread the parasitic [[False Cleaner Borvermid]] and [[Stowaway Harmbless]].

Though the Seashrog is not technically in a relationship with the [[Hockel]], Hockels would sometimes climb onto the Seashrog’s nest to bask. This has resulted in accidental transport, leading to the Hockel spreading to Wind Temperate Beach. The Hockel survived there as a result of the Seashrog also transporting the Gumjorn.

===Flora and Extinctions===
The Seashrog’s use of other types of wood has caused various flora to spread, either through intentional transport or through spores getting caught in its fur and nest material. In particular, [[Cocobarrage]], [[Obsidibend]], and [[Mainland Fuzzpalm]] have spread to all beaches throughout its entire range. Though it initially used both the Fuzzpalm and the Mainland Fuzzpalm for wood and adhesive, when the Mainland Fuzzpalm spread it outcompeted the original Fuzzpalms present in its range. As a result, the original Fuzzpalm is now extinct. The same has occurred with all remaining beach populations of the [[Obsiditree]], as a result of it spreading the Obsidibend.

The Seashrog has also spread many fruit-bearing flora due to it transporting their fruit in its food stores. The following have spread to all coasts and beaches in which they can survive within its range: [[Carnosprawl]], [[Mangot]], [[Qupe Tree]], [[Fuzzweed]], [[Gumjorn]], and [[Baebula]].

Due to its love of eating the Stalk Rastum for its hallucinogenic effects, the Seashrog has also accidentally spread this to all shallow biomes in its range through the spores inevitably getting absolutely everywhere.

----

I hope this species isn't too bold! I noticed the Tamjack had some intelligent behavior that couldn't be explained by instinct alone, and I got a little inspired by Redwall.

Aphluks (Aphidukus spp)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Mikuks
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 2-4 mm long
Diet: Sapivore, Hemophage (green-blooded plents), Detritivore
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, eggs in water), Asexual (Females, Parthenogenesis, Ovoviviparous)

'''Aphluks''' split from their ancestor. These tiny ukfauna have taken on a sap- and occasionally plent blood-sucking lifestyle comparable to Terran aphids. They have flat bodies and the digits of their limbs are modified to function as limbs themselves, helping them stay attached to the flora they suck from. Their mouth opening has moved back closer to the end of the tooth, assisting their sucking ability. When conditions become unfavorable, such as when their host dies, they detach from their host and dry out, going dormant like a Terran water bear; from there, they can be distributed incidentally by wind or fauna. Dormant Aphluks contribute to aeroplankton, being found as high up as the stratosphere.

Aphluks have developed an unusual change to their reproduction. Like many Terran fauna, they can reproduce both sexually and asexually. However, they are distinguished in that while they lay eggs when reproducing sexually, they do not when doing so asexually. This is because asexual reproduction is triggered by deteriorating conditions, such as when there is not enough water to lay their eggs in. This allows them to survive dry periods which last longer than their normal lifespan. Desert species may reproduce exclusively asexually except during the rare rain. Offspring produced asexually are clones of their mothers.

Though Aphluks which suck sap and ones which suck plent blood seem to remain completely separate, with very few species consuming both, new species readily switch between the two. This is because green plent blood is so chemically similar to sap that neither they nor their digestive systems can tell the difference. Plents which have lost their photosynthesis secondarily have slightly different blood chemistry, so Aphluks will never suck from them. Juvenile Aphluks will consume detritus instead of sap, at least until they find flora to suck from, as they are typically laid and hatched in rain which washes them far away from their parents’ host.

There are thousands of species of Aphluk, owing to their rapid reproductive rate and the openness of their niche. They can live anywhere on land where there is flora. There are even species which specialize in living in the troposphere, where they suck on flying flora such as [[Marbubbles]]. Oceanic species which suck on floating flora also exist. Their coloration typically corresponds to the type of organisms they suck from, and generalist species may even be transparent to blend in with any flora. Specialists in crystal and glass flora often have a very sharp tooth and muscular faces, allowing them to pierce the chitinous shell. In the cases of flora with toxic sap, such as the [[Bloodsap Melontree]], some Aphluks have adapted to be immune to it--and even incorporate it into themselves, making them poisonous to many of their potential predators.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 11 2020, 07:32 PM

Meiouks (Meioukus spp)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Mikuks
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 100-1000 µm Long
Diet: Consumer ([[Microswarmers]], [[Grabbyswarmers]], [[Whipswarmers]], various cells), Detritivore, Scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual (male and female, eggs in any water)

The '''Meiouks''' are microscopic ukfauna of the genus ''Meioukus'', which includes some of the smallest ukfauna to ever live. Shrinking below the scale of even a millimeter, the majority of species aren’t easily visible to the naked eye, particularly since their bodies are transparent like those of terran meiofauna. To adapt to life at such a tiny scale, a few changes had to be made to their bodies.

At their scale, the border between terrestrial and aquatic is blurred. To navigate an environment where any moisture is like an ocean of honey, Meiouks have transformed their tail hands into three long whip-like tails derived from fingers which beat like flagella to propel them around. Little change was needed for their respiratory or reproductive systems, as their passive respiration through their skin and their tiny shelless eggs allows them to obtain oxygen just as well from water as from air. At such a small scale their eyesight does not allow them to see very far in clear resolution, but proportional to their size they are able to see their environment surprisingly well, due in part to their eyes simply being enormous.

The Meiouks have developed a retractable “lip” which serves to help them feed and protect their now greatly enlarged mouth. Food, such as cells, detritus, meat, or their fellow meiofauna, is gripped with the lip, which protracts and retracts to push it against the knife-like tooth. This allows them to cut up their food without using their limbs, which may be occupied with holding the meal in place or keeping them from being pushed apart by currents. Meiouks retain their ancestors’ parental care. They produce large round bundles of eggs which they will try to defend from any potential predators such as large cells.

There are thousands of species of Meiouks, though they vary little aside from size and dietary proportions. This is due in part to the fact that any moisture at all is enough for them to thrive in. They are also able to handle harsh conditions thanks to being derived from ice-dwelling ancestral stock. They retain access to antifreeze proteins, allowing them to survive the cold, and additionally developed the ability to lie dormant should all water be frozen; this ability is retained in all species, including desert species, allowing them to wait out dry spells.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 9 2020, 01:46 AM

Stonebeak Phlyer (Petrorostrum primis)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Lari Phlyer
Habitat: Jujubee Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), South Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), LadyM Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North LadyM Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Soma Temperate Coast, Maineiac Temperate Coast, Oz Temperate Coast, Hydro Tropical Coast, Fly Tropical Shallows, King Tropical Coast, Chum Tropical Coast, Jindy Tropical Coast, BigL Tropical Coast, Dass Temperate Coast, Wind Temperate Coast, Clarke Temperate Coast, Elerd Temperate Coast, Fermi Temperate Coast
Size: 2.8 meters long
Diet: Carnivore ([[Seashrog]], [[Hitchhiker Scuttler]], [[Fiesta Leafshell]], [[Coasterlina Leafshell]], [[Fermi Leafshell]], [[Hockel]], [[Pygmy Hullback]], [[Hullback]] (rarely)), Photosynthesis, Scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual (male and female, live birth)

The '''Stonebeak Phlyer''' split from its ancestor. Rather than diving into water to catch aquatic prey, it hunts floating fauna and semi-aquatic fauna which live on free-floating nests and flora. It is named for an unusual feature which sets it apart from other plents--the exposed wood on its body is not actually made of wood, but of a unique calcified cellulose material called Petrolignin. As this new material can withstand much greater forces than ordinary wood, this gives it a significantly stronger bite than its ancestor--in fact, it has the strongest bite of any plent before it.

The Stonebeak Phlyer’s forewings are somewhat shrunken, granting it a wing setup where it has stabilizers in both the front and the back like some Terran airplanes. The “leaf” surface of each wing extends significantly beyond the “stem” portion, reducing weight by not having as much of its skeletal structure extended into the wing. The wings remain stiff enough for flight thanks to cellulose fibers within the structure of the membrane. Despite its color change, with a purple back and pale underside for camouflage, the Stonebeak Phlyer still performs photosynthesis just fine with green pigments--the underside didn’t need to be so densely pigmented anyway since it wasn’t as exposed to light, and the purple pigment it uses does not interfere with photosynthesis.

The Stonebeak Phlyer’s butt nostril has a septum, and therefore is two nostrils. This makes it significantly easier to breathe while flying, as well as allowing it to continue breathing if one nostril is blocked.

The Stonebeak Phlyer hunts by swooping down and trying to hook prey with its claws. If it succeeds, it will either proceed to eat it alive or, if it’s something especially large such as a Seashrog, it will first bite it to death. Its petrolignin beak allows it to bite down hard enough to crush the mineralized bones of carpozoans with ease, a feat which would cause any other plent’s jaws to shatter into splinters.

The Stonebeak Phlyer especially has a taste for the [[Seashrog]], as it is large and fairly slow and therefore provides a lot of meat with a relatively high success rate. If it catches an unsuspecting Seashrog, its armored belly protects it from its osteoderms, though a strike from the tail could still cause severe injury if it does not kill the shrog quickly. If the Seashrog spots the Stonebeak Phlyer first, however, it will try to veer away--unlike other potential prey, the Seashrog can defend itself with long spears, and being impaled by one would mean certain death whether by bleeding out or permanent damage to its wings. The phlyer will then circle the shrog, harassing it until it falters--at which point it swoops in for the kill. It has a higher success rate against lone Seashrogs, as mated pairs will often fight together. Failures usually occur as a result of the Seashrog either taking too long to falter, or escaping into its nest or the water. If the hunt is successful, the Stonebeak Phlyer will eat its fill and rest on top of the Seashrog’s now vacant nest, wings outstretched to soak in the sunlight. It will not need to eat again for a while, and the nest makes a good safe spot to rest.

Much like its ancestor, the Stonebeak Phlyer is a good swimmer and can rest and even give birth in the ocean. Its body is covered in a waxy coating which repels water, helping it take off from the sea. Like most plents, it mates mouth-to-mouth, and it usually gives birth either hidden in flora or on the deck of a Seashrog nest which it has made vacant by eating its inhabitants. Its young are superprecocial and can fly within a few hours of birth.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 9 2020, 01:33 PM

Gec Saurohound (Slaesocaccia gec)

Creator: MNIDJM
Ancestor: Saurohound (Slaesosaurus falkor)
Habitat: Gec Salt Swamp, Gec Tropical Riparian, Gec Tropical River
Size: 3.5 m long
Diet: Carnivore (Gec Onamor, Gec Gilltail, Wadesnapper, Verdiundi, Knobshell, Thorny Toadtuga, Spineless Toadtuga, River Hikahoe, Spinemander, Muckwater Fraboo, Horned Landlubber, Regal Sphinx, Twinkiiro Gilltail)
Reproduction: Sexual, Live Birth, Two Genders

The migration into the waterways of Gec was a gradual one, but over time the [[saurohound]] population around the Chum coastlines began to split, as some found the swamp waters around Gec a safe place to rear young. Decreased competition and abundant food and shelter allowed them to dominate the waters, and soon they became the apex predators of the region.

Significantly smaller than their coastal relatives, they have shrunk in response to the thick vegetation and limited space available in the riverway. Adults' snouts and jaws have become comparably stunted when examined next to their coastal ancestors, but the deeper set jaw has become significantly more muscular, aiding in their ambush predatory livesyles. A saurohound will wait motionless while hunting, before exploding forward and biting down with a force of 1,200 psi. They have been documented waiting by the river's edge for prey to wander towards the waters edge, snapping their jaw around their catch, and dragging it into the water to drown it.

Adults reach reproductive maturity in five years, and have a lifespan averaging eighteen to twenty years. Individuals have been found capable of living as old as 26, though these appear to require optimal conditions.

As with their ancestors, there appears to be no set mating season exactly, however mating does appear to become more frequent in the late summer and late winter months. This staggered mating appears to be a mechanism to ensure less direct competition with sired pups, allowing them to maximize available food. Gestation is over a period of seven to eight months, with the range affected by available food. Mothers that have a harder time acquiring food during pregnancy appear to gestate longer as a stress response. Adult females will typically mate ever eighteen months, and are capable of breeding their entire lives.

Pups are about 50 cm long at birth. At this point, they hunt frabukis, larvabacks, scuttlers, krillpedes and gilltail young. Their diet changes to progressively bigger prey as they grow. Their eyes aren't particularly useful until the are about 2 months of age (an evolutionary holdover from their ancestors) so it relies on its sensory tentacles. Once they reach a large enough size at about 6 months of age, they will become young adults and strike out on their own.

Kakonat (Latudon linguamus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Tasermane
Habitat: Jujubee Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), South Jujubee Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), LadyM Tropical Ocean (Sunlight Zone), North LadyM Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), South LadyM Temperate Ocean (Sunlight Zone), Soma Temperate Coast, Maineiac Temperate Coast, Oz Temperate Coast, Hydro Tropical Coast, Fly Tropical Shallows, King Tropical Coast, Chum Tropical Coast, Jlindy Tropical Coast, BigL Tropical Coast, Dass Temperate Coast, Wind Temperate Coast, Clarke Temperate Coast, Elerd Temperate Coast, Fermi Temperate Coast, Soma Temperate Beach, Maineiac Temperate Beach, Oz Temperate Beach, Hydro Tropical Beach, King Tropical Beach, Chum Tropical Beach, Jlindy Tropical Beach, BigL Tropical Beach, Dass Temperate Beach, Wind Temperate Beach, Clarke Temperate Beach, Elerd Temperate Beach, Fermi Temperate Beach, Ramul Temperate Beach
Size: 25 cm long
Diet: Omnivore ([[Vermees]], [[Cleaner Borvermid]], [[False Cleaner Borvermid]], [[Stowaway Harmbless]], [[Tepoflora]], [[Beach Puffgrass]], [[Boneweed]], [[Pioneeroots]], [[Fuzzweed]], [[Mainland Fuzzpalm]] berries, [[Seashrog]] joeys (rarely)), Scavenger/Detritivore (seashrog nests and food stores)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth)

The '''Kakonat''' split from its ancestor, making its way to beaches and coasts adjacent to its previous riparian home. Its “wool” has straightened to be fur-like and it has regained a nearly full coat, as small creatures cannot regulate their body temperature without insulation even in warm environments. It has become a pest of [[Seashrog]]s, sneaking into their nests during construction and feeding from their food stores, though it also eats some of the on-board parasites. Because of its tendency to stow away in Seashrog nests, it has spread through the Seashrog’s entire range. It has developed petrolignin (calcified cellulose), convergent with the [[Stonebeak Phlyer]], to replace the material of its fangs so that it may use them to cut food and deliver nasty bites.

The Kakonat’s fangs are mobile and are designed to close sideways to cut. When eating, it will use its prehensile tongue to pull food partway into its mouth and then bring its fangs together to snip it. It can snip flora and fauna alike; when eating the [[Stowaway Harmbless]], for example, it uses this strategy to cut it to pieces after it has paralyzed it with an electrical shock from its tongue. It will sometimes do this with Seashrog joeys as well, but very rarely as the parents will likely try to kill it in response. This feeding strategy allows it to eat food much larger than what it can normally fit in its mouth, though bite-sized food is swallowed whole. Its fangs are strong enough to cut its own tongue off, but it instinctively avoids doing this for obvious reasons.

Like its ancestor, the Kakonat engages in intraspecific combat when selecting a mate. These battles are usually between males, but females may also fight one another or, occasionally, males that are too persistent. Unlike its ancestor, it does not have a breeding season and will mate 5-6 times a year; as such, competing for mates is less aggressive and thus its dome is smaller. Still, two competitors will puff up the longer pelage around their necks and down their backs and headbutt one another, much as its ancestor did. It can form mating groups as its ancestor did, though this usually happens on the beach rather than inside Seashrog nests as they typically disperse every landfall to avoid overcrowding. They produce 2-3 offspring per breeding and provide parental care. Like most Plents, they mate mouth-to-mouth.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 11 2020, 07:33 PM

Umbral Sphinx (Subnixiflora noctevenandi)
Creator: Nergali
Ancestor: Royal Sphinx
Habitat: Dixon Tropical Woodland, Dixon Tropical Rainforest, Dixon Temperate Rainforest, West Darwin Tropical Rainforest, South Darwin Tropical Woodland
Size: 20 cm long
Diet: Omnivore ([[Minikruggs]], [[Vermees]], [[Dartirs]], [[Sapworms]], [[Xenobees]], [[Xenowasps]], [[Silkruggs]], [[Neuks]], [[Verdiundi]], [[Carnofern Flugwurm]], [[Carnossamer]] fruit, [[Tropical Gecoba Tree]] fruit, [[Berry Arbourshroom]] berries, [[Frayedspikes]] fruit)
Reproduction: Sexual, Two Genders, Live Birth

Splitting from its ancestor, the '''Umbral Sphinx''' has spread throughout the forests that thrive along the coastlines of Dixon and Darwin, and has itself come to thrive in these tropical regions. Now crepuscular by nature, they are most active around the times of dawn and dusk, utilizing these brief moments of twilight in order to go out and search for food. As most current predators in these forests aren't active during these times, the Umbral Sphinxes have little to fear as they gorge themselves on a variety of fruits and small creatures. When not out hunting, they will retreat to small burrows and hollows so that they may rest in relative safety.

Like their ancestor, the males possess a notable crest which they use to signify their health and strength to both potential challengers and mates. However, unlike the [[Royal Sphinx]], both genders are fairly colorful, with the only real distinction being the crest. While they are still monogamous in nature, they will often share their nests with other mated pairs. Because of this increase in regards to their social nature, they now produce a wider range of pips and squeaks from their tail-nostrils, even utilizing the ring of fleshy bits to help alter the sound to a degree by contracting and relaxing them. Now the woodlands and rainforests of Darwin and Dixon are awash in a chorus of chirps each dawn and dusk.

Umbral Sphinxes can swim, and are willing to migrate across small rivers ands streams in order to find new nesting grounds. Being fairly rapid breeders, this can occur quite frequently.

This post has been edited by Nergali: Jul 26 2020, 05:48 AM

Leafy Plyentwort (Frondosomancerxia primus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Stunted River Plyent
Habitat: Adults and Juveniles: Always Tropical River, Bardic Tropical River, Biocat Tropical River, Blood Tropical River, Gec Tropical River, Glicker Tropical River, Ichthy Tropical River, Jeluki Tropical River, Kenotai Tropical River, Pipcard Tropical River, Terra Tropical River, Wright Tropical River, Bone Temperate River, Blocks Temperate River, Huggs Temperate River, Irinya Temperate River, Always Tropical Riparian, Bardic Tropical Riparian, BioCat Tropical Riparian, Blood Tropical Riparian, Gec Tropical Riparian, Glicker Tropical Riparian, Ichthy Tropical Riparian, Jeluki Tropical Riparian, Kenotai Tropical Riparian, Pipcard Tropical Riparian, Terra Tropical Riparian, Wright Tropical Riparian, Blocks Temperate Riparian, Bone Temperate Riparian, Huggs Temperate Riparian, Irinya Temperate Riparian, Yokto Temperate River, Yokto Temperate Riparian, Maineiac Temperate River, Maineiac Temperate Riparian, Always Salt Swamp, Bardic Salt Swamp, BioCat Salt Swamp, Blood Salt Swamp, Gec Salt Swamp, Glicker Salt Swamp, Ichthy Salt Swamp, Jeluki Salt Swamp, Kenotai Salt Swamp, Pipcard Salt Swamp, Terra Salt Swamp, Wright Salt Swamp, Slarti Salt Swamp, Blocks Salt Marsh, Bone Salt Marsh, Huggs Salt Marsh, Irinya Salt Marsh, Yokto Salt Marsh, Maineiac Salt Marsh; Seed-Eggs and Spores: Atmosphere (Troposphere); Spores Only: Atmosphere (Stratosphere)
Size: 50 cm tall
Diet: Photosynthesis, Detritivore, Filter-Feeder, Facultative Carnivore (Dartirs, Xenowasps, Gushitos)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Spores, Seed-Eggs)

Leafy Plyentwort replaced its ancestor. It has re-developed the ability to eat with its mouth, allowing it to consume small fauna, and it can now also absorb very tiny microbes with its leg tufts. Each of its long wooden feet is springy, using the flexible nature of wood, allowing it to bound efficiently instead of just slowly ambling about. It has developed a system of cellulose fibers in its leaves which has allowed them to take on more complex leafy shapes, though they are still able to fold up and retract in the face of danger. The leaves have remarkable regenerative capability, allowing it to recover when grazed on by an herbivore.

The Leafy Plyentwort spends most of its time in rivers or in the submerged parts of the wetlands, stretching its leaves high above the water’s surface. When it comes time to release its spores, a male emerges from the river and puffs them into the air. Its spores are hardy, as they need to last long enough to find their way to a female. Spores can reach high into the troposphere, even to the stratosphere, contributing to aeroplankton. However, those that reach the stratosphere often die. They eventually land in a female’s waiting mouth, fertilizing her. Offspring contained in cellulose envelopes somewhere between an egg and a seed develop with a comparatively massive tuft on top, and she then puffs these into the air. They, too, contribute to aeroplankton, but do not reach the stratosphere. Its efficient aerial distribution has allowed it to spread to many rivers and wetland biomes which are not connected to one another.

The offspring of the Leafy Plyentwort are highly unusual--they have regained the ancestral eye! A hole in the seed-egg’s casing allows them to look out below, and when they see a river they hatch--causing them to drop to the ground, steering with wing-like flaps on their feet. They have decent aim, usually landing very close to the water if not directly in it. Their small size prevents them from being injured by the fall. Early in life they float at the surface of the water, but as they grow large enough to break through surface tension they move to shallow parts of the river and grip the mud with their long feet. They often group together with other Leafy Plyentworts of similar age so that they do not cast shade on one another.

Periodically, such as when there is too much competition, the Leafy Plyentwort will get up and migrate along the riparian biome. It does not reproduce during this time, so it uses its mouth to eat. Its saliva mimics the scent of carpozoan blood, attracting flying blood-eaters such as Xenowasps and Gushitos as well as scavengers such as Dartirs. They basically fly right into its mouth, and it proceeds to eat them. The blood scent mimic is produced using modified chlorophyll which uses iron, making it chemically identical to hemoglobin; eating binucleids and iron fauna therefore allows it to make even more. This gives it a significant increase in the amount of energy it has to use during migration, allowing it to amble faster as well as achieve a fairly quick bounding locomotion as needed. It has directional movement despite being blind as to increase the effectiveness of its springy feet; it moves in the direction of a single “front” leg, making it a tripod with one leg in front and two in the back.

Like its ancestor, the Leafy Plyentwort generally lives around the edges of rivers and kicks up debris to consume with its leg tufts. Thanks to the presence of an electrical nervous system, it can retract its leaves very quickly when disturbed. It has some tolerance to salinity, allowing it to live in brackish marshes and swamps.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 13 2020, 01:56 PM

(note: I know there is a very large prey list / ecosystem page mismatch, it eats things being spread by another submission)

Longjack (Pofulong zhangti)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Burrowing Tamjack
Habitat: Hydro Tropical Rainforest, Hydro Tropical Beach, Hydro Tropical Coast, Oz Temperate Coast, Barlowe Temperate Beach, Barlowe Temperate Rainforest
Size: 3 meters long (excluding tail)
Diet: Herbivore ([[Qupe Tree]], [[Carnosprawl]], [[Rainforest Carnofern]], [[Mainland Fuzzpalm]], [[Cocobarrage]], [[Obsidibend]], [[Obsidian Shrub]], [[Pioneer Raftballs]], [[Chainswarmer]] colonies, [[Darwinian Diaminet]], [[Symbioraft Diaminet]])
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Live Birth)

The '''Longjack''' split from its ancestor. This larger herbivore is named for its long body and for its appearance akin to an eastern dragon (or “long”). Its long body gives it a long gut to digest flora. It feeds from trees, either rearing up to browse or cutting them down with its saw-like tail, though it may also eat from small shrubs. It may also strike branches off of tall flora to feed to its young while weaning them. It has lost the scales on its back in favor of a long mane which makes it look bigger, and its underside is covered in pebbly scales. To support its large size, its claws have become hoof-like. Despite its large size and the change to its feet, it is a surprisingly good swimmer and can often be found out in the shallows grazing on aquatic flora. This has allowed it to spread into Barlowe as well.

The Longjack has lost its pouch, with only a small flap of skin between its legs remaining of it. With their long gestation periods, its ancestors were clearly placental. It itself gestates for 6 months and gives birth to 1-2 babies per breeding. Its offspring are precocial and able to walk and even swim on their own at birth. The pouch is simply no longer needed. Instead, females have their teats out in the open and newborns stand under them to nurse.

The Longjack is a generally solitary herbivore. Males often leave soon after mating and the female raises her offspring alone. Its sharp tail axe allows a lone individual to fight off predators on its own, as a single well-aimed strike can disembowel or decapitate attackers. Convergent with the related [[Seashrog]], its tail saw has a bone core so that it stays strong and deadly even in water.

Lacking the large fermenting chambers of more advanced herbivores, the Longjack is not the most efficient eater, but with limited competition for large herbivore niches this is hardly an issue. Still, the Longjack will often eat fruit before it eats tough leaves. The spread of various flora by Seashrog activity has granted it quite a few options to choose from. It is also semi-aquatic and may be found swimming in the shallows to feed on aquatic flora. Its hooves are powerful enough to break right through the shells of aquatic crystal flora, allowing it to access the soft easy-to-digest insides.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 13 2020, 08:27 PM

Feluks (Ukfeliovenator spp)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Mikuks
Habitat: Global (Sagan 4)
Size: 1-10 mm
Diet: Carnivore (Mikuks, Aphluks, Vermees; smaller species of Minikruggs, Mistswarmers, Silkruggs, Cloudswarmers; other very tiny fauna; larger species may eat smaller ones), Scavenger
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Eggs in Water)

Feluks split from their ancestor and became ambush predators, using their upper pair of limbs to snatch prey and pierce them with their tooth. Despite their spider-like face, they are not venomous; instead, they cut their catch to pieces with the serrated edge of their tooth and stuff the chunks into their enlarged mouth to process. They notably appear to have three teeth now--but in reality, they are all a single tooth. During embryonic development, they attack part of their tooth with their own digestive enzymes to make three cuts. This is certainly not the most efficient way to free their mouth, but it works.

Like their ancestor, the Feluks can and do use their tail as a leg. However, they do this in a different way--they stand on the back of the tail hand and use it as a foot. They use this and their lower pair of limbs together to quickly pounce on prey. They retain parental care and have been known to stare down fauna much larger than themselves and pounce on them to frighten them away if they wander too close to their eggs; though they’re unable to outright kill fauna significantly larger than themselves, those small enough to be an intentional threat to their eggs will still be left with a nasty cut if the Feluk bites them.

There are many species of Feluk. Some specialize in consuming specific kinds of fauna, while others are generalists. Some larger species of Feluk will eat smaller ones. Species in colder climates commonly reside in leaf litter, where they are insulated from wind and snow, and many hibernate over winter. A handful of oceanic species exist, residing inside the floating nests of creatures such as [[Marine Tamow]]s and [[Seashrog]]s and laying their eggs in water captured by the nest material during storms; no species which can reproduce in saltwater exist, as the adults are strictly terrestrial. They do poorly on ice, and as such no species reside in ice habitats. Desert species are common, despite their ties to water, though they are generally only active at dawn or dusk. Their coloration generally matches the local soil or leaf litter colors.

Chasing Twintail (Dicaudasorex celer)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Scrambled Shrew
Habitat: Dixon-Darwin Boreal, Darwin Temperate Woodland, Vivus Boreal, Vivus Temperate Rainforest, Darwin Temperate Rainforest, Dixon Temperate Rainforest
Size: 15 cm long
Diet: Carnivore (Xenobees, Xenowasps, Dartirs, Minikruggs, Silkruggs, Mikuks, Feluks, Neuks)
Reproduction: Sexual (male and female, live birth, pouch and milk)

The Chasing Twintail is a small, predatory Shrew which split from its ancestor. Its immediate distinguishing feature is its twin tails: a consequence of its ancestor’s genetic instability, its spine splits at its shoulders, resulting in a double spine down its back and two tails. The twin tails are useful for balance as it chases speedy prey around its woodland home, so they were selected for. This duplication was able to occur non-fatally as a result of its ancestor already being adapted to survive similar mutations which would normally cause health problems. It still retains the genetic instability, being prone to cancer and often mutating to have duplicate tissues and organs.

The Chasing Twintail also has another, less visible duplicated feature: it has a frankly rather excessive number of nipples, at well over 100 (the exact number varying between individuals). As Shrews are similar to Terran marsupials, they actually produce hundreds of offspring only a few of which survive based on the number of nipples; with the increase in how many nipples it has, however, many more of the Chasing Twintail’s offspring will find a nipple to attach to. This has resulted in it attaining the highest birth rate of any Shrew, a feature which allows it to maintain a thriving population at its small size in a world filled with bigger predators. To save energy for reproduction, it has a much smaller brain than its ancestor.

Like a Terran shrew, the Chasing Twintail has a fairly high metabolism and must eat constantly to survive. It does not starve in a day like its Terran counterpart, being large enough to not burn through all its energy so quickly, but missing a day would make it unlikely to find enough food later due to weakness from starvation. Instead of sleeping, ity hibernates overnight to conserve energy. As sharing food would put it at a disadvantage, it is strictly solitary and mothers will raise their offspring on their own.

Like its ancestor, the Chasing Twintail lives in burrows. Unlike its ancestor, it breeds 10 times a year and has over 100 joeys at a time. Its offspring are born helpless and live off of milk in their mother’s pouch for the first two weeks of their lives. With a less varied diet and the addition of an extra tail the Chasing Twintail has lost some of its sexual display features such as the tufts on its wrists and ankles, but it has elongated its ear tufts.

This post has been edited by Disgustedorite: Jul 16 2020, 09:31 PM

Chromanke (Trisimius plandigitus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Chromofeef
Habitat: Drake Boreal, Slarti Polar Riparian, Slarti Polar River
Size: 35 cm long
Diet: Carnivore (Minikruggs, Larvaback, Aphluks, Krugg, Tufted Thermoworm, Crystank Crystalworm, Tonboswarmer, Seaplane Tonboswarmer, Elahpekomlap Bubblehorn, juvenile Bipedal Uktank, juvenile Rooteater Gilltail)
Reproduction: Sexual (Male and Female, Frog-Like Eggs in Foam Nests)

The Chromanke replaced its ancestor. It has become arboreal, losing its tail fin and webbed feet in favor of broad, sticky toe pads and a sticky prehensile tail. Having six eyes, it had no need to have extremely mobile eyes, so their mobility is reduced significantly. However, its eyes still have some mobility, allowing it to focus in any direction without moving its head; they just cannot move anywhere near as much as the ancestor’s, as it was not needed. As an adult, it lives exclusively in flora. Like some Terran tree frogs, it lays its eggs in foamy nests that keep them moist until they hatch, at which point the babies fall into the river below. The babies feed on river and riparian species until they have developed their limbs enough to take to the trees.

The Chromanke does not use its hind legs for climbing, only for perching. This is because their evolutionary history and atavistic return left them significantly weaker than the forelegs. This also causes it to anatomically call back to the extinct roamers, an unrelated lineage which had reduced hind legs and used only their forelegs and tail for locomotion.

Like its ancestor, the Chromanke is a carnivore which eats small fauna with its long sticky tongue. It can change color to blend in with its surroundings, but as most of the large flora in its habitat are green this usually means staying emerald green. It will turn white if it falls into snow or brown if it falls onto soil. It can also change color to communicate; for example, it will turn black to indicate anger or stress. It is generally solitary and offers no parental care.

Cloudbubble (Bubblephyta nimbus)
Creator: Disgustedorite
Ancestor: Marbubble
Habitat: Atmosphere (Troposphere), Atmosphere (Stratosphere)
Size: 2 cm wide
Diet: Photosynthesis, Planktivore
Reproduction: Sexual (Spores), Asexual (Binary Fission)

The '''Cloudbubble''' replaced its ancestor. With a rise in flora and fauna that use the atmosphere for distribution, it takes advantage of this new food source with sticky elongated root-like tendrils which capture aeroplankton. It has also developed flagella-bearing tendrils, which are activated by atmospheric conditions and allow it to “swim” towards moisture. This allows it to also take advantage of a vast, untapped water source--clouds.

Cloudbubbles can be found free-floating, but massive populations of them can often be seen dotting the upper “surface” of clouds. They are not technically attached to the surface of the cloud, rather if they start to drift they “swim” back into it. They will also “swim” upwards to the surface of the cloud if they end up too deep inside and don’t have any light. The Cloudbubble’s food source of aeroplankton is robust enough that it can reproduce in the sky, ejecting spores directly into its cloud. These are collected and fertilized by other Cloudbubbles on the same cloud, then released again. They can also “bud” in a manner resembling cell division--essentially, macro-scale binary fission. It no longer needs to return to the ground to reproduce, though it is capable of doing so.

The Cloudbubble floats using hydrogen. This is produced by an unusual symbiote--the [[Cloudbubble Cryoutine]]. As it no longer needs to produce their own floating gasses, it is able to spend more energy on reproduction and durability. Free-living Cloudbubble Cryoutines are found inside clouds, so fertilized Cloudbubble spores only begin to develop when they enter a cloud and meet a symbiote.

With its better food and water sources and use of symbiosis, the Cloudbubble has a lot of energy left over for other features. It is much more durable than its ancestor; though it can be popped by stepping on it, it can easily be rolled between two fingers without causing any damage except perhaps to its tendrils. This makes it more resilient to the powerful winds of the upper atmosphere, and it allows it to survive its cloud raining. It and its spores contribute greatly to aeroplankton, and they may serve as a vital base to a new sky ecosystem.