Sunleechers

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 gilltail, scuttlecrabs, 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 commongilltails, larvabacks, and frabukis among others.

Integrated Species

 * Sunleecher