Flat-Topped Seacural

The flat-topped seacural is mobile, unlike its sessile relatives. However, it moves very slowly, travels only a short distance every day, and spends hours motionlessly feeding in the same spot. Thus, if one is not looking very closely, it may seem just as sessile as its relatives.

It crawls over the seafloor using a hydraulic system derived from its ancestor's feeding mechanism. Its stiff feeding tentacles anchor it into the mud, and then push off in the direction of food. A layer of slippery mucus secreted by its fleshy "petals" helps it slide across.

It feeds as seacurals usually do, by drawing in tiny food particles through the beating of little flagella in its body cavity. As it feeds upside-down, its flagella must writhe a little more vigorously than its relatives. Water and useless mineral particles are expelled from holes on its upper sides. Its metabolism is faster than its ancestor's to allow greater movement of its flagella and its mobile habits. Due to their slightly greater food requirements, they don't do as well as their ancestor or relatives in environments with very low food availability. Like its ancestor, it does not feed on iron, but still requires a small amount of iron to survive.

Its body contains an odd "sand" of iron compounds. This "sand" carries an electrical charge. It is unclear what the purpose of this "sand" is; it could be a collection of excess iron drawn upon when the organism is sick, or it could be used to regulate motion.

It quickly collapses and dries out if taken out of the sea. When dried out, it is strangely flammable.