Tidal Shrubite

The tidal shrubite has replaced the Wind shrubite in the Fermi Contienent and thanks to its novel mode of reproduction and more flexible, amphibious lifestyle, it has spread to the temperate regions as well. Instead of the fragmentary budding of the narrow top section from its ancestor, it has not only regained the ability to produce proto-spores, but also produces them such that they are haploid, and must combine with another haploid proto-spore to form a new individual. These proto-spores shall be termed haplospores. This reproductive innovation, in addition to increasing their range, has resulted in favorable traits becoming distributed throughout the populations of this species, rapidly speeding up evolutionary change versus its asexual ancestor. Among these: its body is now divided into three sections: the broad, porous lower base that collects microbes during high tide (consumed via phagocytosis); a solid, narrower middle section; and a narrower still, porous upper section where haplospores are released into the wind. The pores of both the top and bottom sections are capable of gas exchange. As the water has proven to be a more reliable source of food as opposed to the air, the tidal shrubite has taken advantage of this fact by specializing in feeding only on microplankton that washes up against its feeding base. The size of the organism is dependent on how closely it has settled to the water in its littoral habitat, with the result being that larger organisms collect more microplankton during high tide than smaller ones. These individuals also need to be able to release haplospores above the water, as they do not travel as far submerged. Due to the new mechanism of feeding, it no longer encases its prey in its shell to grow, and instead grows out from the center from the day of its conception, distributing shell-building materials throughout its body as it grows, ensuring it not only receives a constant supply of food and other nutrients whenever available, but also gasses. It incorporates both silica and calcium carbonate into its shell. Like its ancestor, the tidal shrubite still has an end-summer mating season where the haplospores are released, followed later by a long winter hibernation period. To avoid freezing to death, it utilizes an antifreeze protein that keeps the cytoplasm of its cells fluid even while surrounded by rock-solid ice, ensuring the organism's survival through the long polar winter.