Goldilackaruck

At first glance, the Goldilackaruck seems virtually indistinguishable from the ancestral Lacrimuck apart from average size - an unassuming alga from the obscure Phoenoplastida division of Vandruoria, notable for being saved from certain doom by the majestic groves of Tlukvaequabora. Indeed these similarities are quite apparent: like other vandruorians, this flora utilizes a carotenoid accessory pigment in its photosynthetic functions, giving it a distinctly golden coloration in its blades. It possesses gas-filled bladders with which to hoist its blades up into the water column, while a network of creeping, radiating holdfasts secure it a surface, substrate or bare rock alike. However, one must look a little closer to recognize that the Goldilackaruck is quite distinct from its ancestry: it is one of the few descendants of the Vandriswoop to utilize sexual reproduction.

For an entire floral division that has persisted for so long utilizing asexual reproduction almost exclusively, it is puzzling that Muller’s Ratchet hadn’t seized the clade sooner; in fact, for the Lacrimuck alone, this presence was likely a major contributor to its current reduction in range. Nevertheless, this relict population remained just healthy enough to circumvent the ratchet. Between the bladder and the stipe lie a ring of fine sporangia where spores are expelled and received. The spores themselves - inherited from the Vandriswoop - have been modified for the purpose of promoting genetic diversity. The hexagonal spores now serve as the gametes - sent into the water column, these drift about until reaching a receptive sporangium in which it conjugates with receptive gamete spores; upon this exchange, a pennant-shaped zygote spore, complete with recombinated genes from its parents, is formed, and is once more sent into the water column, hopefully to settle and become a new flora. With the ability to produce genetically distinct offspring, advantageous traits are able to be spread faster with successive generations, contributing to genetically healthier populations.

Zygote spores can be carried far from parent groves, often riding on marine currents until eventually settling on a surface. A notable vector of mass-dispersal are powerful storms which rip up the coastlines they cruise over, not only slinging spores far, but also fragmented mature Goldilackaruck stipes, which too can grow into mature flora upon settling; parent stipes are sturdy near the base to ensure that, while their branches are carried away by storms, they themselves remain to regenerate new blade-tipped branches. Occasionally spores and fragments alike may hitchhike on the nests of Marine Tamow-descended shrews; for some species like the Seashrog, they may procure such flora from their floats and cache it within storage compartments, or simply pluck it off the float should they deem the added weight to be especially compromising. In the latter case and that of storm surges, these means alike have contributed greatly to the spread of the Goldilackaruck throughout much of Sagan 4’s northern temperate and near-equatorial coastlines.

Much of the coastlines the Goldilackaruck inhabits are surprisingly lacking in tall, kelp-like flora, especially in zones where the growth of these flora would be especially hospitable (e.g. near a nutrient-rich upwelling). Once more the flora’s distinctive accessory pigments come into play here; optimizing in the absorption of different light wavelengths than the puffgrasses which cluster upon dense clusters of driftwood, the Goldilackaruck can avoid being outshaded in areas where the two floral species meet. Perhaps as a consequence of utilizing these carotenoids and the absence of competition, these flora can often grow quite tall, up to four meters in height - and to fuel and sustain this growth, Goldilackaruck stipes can be quite profuse in their branching, considerably increasing the surface area and therefore photosynthetic productivity of their blades.

Should Goldilackaruck groves become prolific enough, they can provide essential habitat for a wealth of smaller fauna and other motile biota seeking shelter or a reliable source of food. Miniswarmers, Krillpedes, Rainbow Marephasmites and Miniwhorls - among others - can eke out among the golden-and-magenta thickets in decent security. Critters such as Frabukis, Scuttlers, and Brushrums can sometimes be found crawling along the fuchsia holdfast beds in search of fallen detritus - or to nibble at the flora itself. Meanwhile predators like Squidwhals, and the Snatcherswarmer (in coastal Oz and Maineiac for the latter) can remain out of sight of unassuming prey while avoiding predators of their own.

Goldilackaruck stipe tissue sports a fine taste that blends together sweet and salty qualities. The golden blade tissue is slightly more bitter, and can easily be made into a chewy, yet savory nori.

As the niches of the Goldilackaruck and the Lacrimuck differ somewhat, the flora was not able to completely replace its ancestry even with its innovation of sexual reproduction; nonetheless, Lacrimuck populations continue to grow steadily more rare.