Cannibal Hatchball

The cannibal hatchball split from the glass hatchball in order to increase the survival rate of younger specimens. Though in later stages of their life, cannibal hatchballs and glass hatchballs are identical except for size, in earlier stages they are quite different. The spores of glass hatchballs are merely spores, but in cannibal hatchballs, the spores secrete a mildly acid substance. If the spores land on another plant, the acid will cause the spore to sink through the plant. The acid will also dissolve the nutrients into a form that is easily digestible by the youngest cannibal hatchballs, aiding its growth. As the plant grows, it will itself secrete a similar acid. This acid will pool around the plant. Cannibal hatchballs themselves are immune to the acid, avoiding dissolving in their own acid. But the acid will dissolve nearby plants into nutrients that the plant can absorb. In later stages of life, as the plant begins to create its own spores, the cannibal hatchball becomes more fully reliant on photosynthesis, and quits secreting acid.