Karniquarius

When laniquaricus spread in the coast using prolanics, sometimes they were able to survive in deeper areas, forming there new spheres. To better absorb light and thrive with the high pressure, those deep laniquaricus changed, originating a new species.

The karniquarius split from its ancestor, becoming the dominant flora in deep areas near the coast, also being found in twilight zone due to its new life style. Since long wavelength light cannot penetrate deep, being absorbed by ocean water and penetrate some few meters, karniquarius changed its purple-blue coloring to purple-red, being able to survive until near eighty meters depth.

In order to better support the high pressure it also changed its shape, make the sphere become a bit flattened. If eventually some bud starts to grow in spherical, it will be slowly changed due to the high pressure above. It still has a sticky inner surface, with a sugar-rich fluid inside. It’s on the outer surface that the photosynthesis happens. Part of the molecules produced during the process are kept on the hollow core, being these mainly sugars, while almost half of the oxygen produced is kept on the core and helps the karniquaricus to keep its round shape. Slowly, the gas diffuses to the outer surface through pores around the cells, carrying with it some of the stored molecules. The same can happen quickly if a creature or something presses it down. They work like an air bed, but if the pressure is too big they can blow up.

Part of the inner fluid also is composed by proteins, lipids, ions and some enzymes. When sticking to something, the karniquarius will secrete some of these molecules by the bottom part: while specialized enzymes digest the substrate and modify part of the outer structures of it, the other molecules will link the substrate to the plant, allowing it to grow properly without being detached. It gets almost nothing from the substrate, since there are no fluid exchanges. Karniquarius can adhere to any thing, from fauna to flora and rocks, being the last one where they are found most of times. In this way, it works like a barnacle, getting from its host only the benefit of stay permanently attached to it and moving to areas where it can get more light, in case of stay attached to a creature. Sometimes, when attaching to some creatures, they were able to spread to the other border of the ocean, reaching the west coast of Glicker.

They grow basically in the same way of the ancestor, forming side buds and spreading to far places using prolanics. These three-celled structures evolved its photosynthetic appendages even more. These leaf-like filaments have a three-celled plan and a hollow core from where the oxygen produced escapes and helps in the fluctuation. Eventually these appendages will branch from some point, making them even more suitable to be transported due to the feathered aspect. In the same way as in laniquaricus, prolanics will be released from the main body when in warmer conditions, which expands the internal fluid and the plant body creating small pores, or when something pulls the filaments where they are attached. However, since warmer waters are not always found in depth, karniquarius evolved another way to reproduce and spread. It develops little buds very similar to the main body, but in miniature scale, each one containing three prolanics and its long filaments. When fully developed, these buds detach from the main body and float away, leaving a scar on its place. The scar disappears in some days and in that place the karniquarius will form another bud. Finding a suitable substrate, the sticky core and bottom part will assure that it will stay initially fixed, giving place to its fixing and growth strategies start. Karniquarius grow slowly and can be found forming big chains or groupings, with the larger and older individuals having near to one meter wide if living in areas not very deep, where the pressure isn’t so high and they have more access to light.