Photocolonius

The photocolonius has replaced its ancestor on Mason Polar Beach, although they continue to thrive just off the coast. With many new fauna and flora evolving, the centuries long growth pace of its ancestor not only caused it to be out competed by flora, but also by the fauna that trampled younger members. It also had a limited range, only able to occupy the beach under the point of the largest wave. The product of these selective pressures, the photocolonius, has not only adapted to survive attacks by other organisms, but also to spread throughout the beach biome. It is no longer colonial, rater possessing a relatively unchanging and regular form compared to its ancestor. To allow itself to grow faster, it has abandoned the silicon covering of its ancestor, instead favoring a cellular structure that gives it a high compressive strength, feeling soft if touched lightly, but becoming harder as more stress is placed upon it. To protect itself from predators, it has evolved a protective coating of microscopic needles that cause a stinging sensation in the skin of various fauna. During the light seasons, round dome shaped structures will grow on the surface of the organism. These give it a small increase in photosynthesizing area, but their main purpose is reproductive. At dusk, the protrusions will fall off and be carried in the wind, leaving slight indentations in the surface of the organism. These will then, during the winter, root and prepare for the dawn.