Symbiofortress Diamiboard

The symbiofortress diamiboard is the evolutionary descendant of symbioship diamiboards that washed up on shore and managed to not only survive but adapt to their new environment. While for the most part their ancestors would have died when they become beached, some however managed to survive, reproduce, and evolve. Originating along the tropical beaches of Barlowe, their spores soon spread to all nearby beaches save for the polar ones where it was too cold for them to grow. They rely slightly more on photosynthesis then their ancestors, but are still fully capable of feeding via their fungus-like roots.

Their roots attach each diamiboard together just like their ancestor and allow them to form massive colonies along the beaches. The roots will extend deep under the sand to keep the diamiboard secure, and will also absorb water which is then passed along all the members of the colony. These bonds are so strong that only vicious storms will break apart these colonies, and this will usually allow them to spread further along the beach.

They release fewer spores than their ancestor, but make up for it by releasing them at more frequent intervals. Once growth begins, they reach sexual maturity after about 5 years and reach their full size after 15.

When they first evolved, water was a major necessity that they needed to obtain. To do this, they developed their fungus-like roots to absorb larger amounts of water. This water was then passed along to other diamiboards in the colony, especially those that grew farther back and couldn't gather as much water, even if the high tide reached them. Now with a stable water source, they slowly evolved to require less and less water to survive, allowing them to grow farther and farther up the beach.

Symbiofortress diamiboards asexually bud, giving their colonies shape, which is similar to their ancestors raft-like shape, and are interconnected by their fungus-like roots which pass both water and nutrients amongst the members. They release spores which will start new colonies should they land in favorable conditions near the water. These new colonies will then continue to expand inland in order to obtain more food from the more abundant microbe colonies as well as more room to spread and gather light.

In order for a spore to grow it must land on some solid object, such as a rock or another symbiofortress diamiboard, after which it will migrate down towards the side of it and into the sand so that it may take root.