Soil Chitinuses

The soil chitinuses are a branch of the colonuses that have adapted specifically to digesting the crystal litter of decomposing crystal flora. They produce a form of chitinase that allows them to break apart the glycosidic bonds in the crystal shells, converting them into useful multimers that can be utilised by both the cells and other organisms. They are an extremely important component to ecosystems with an abundance to crystal flora, as they help degrade the floral litter into once again usable materials. Many species begin their life cycles as endophytes on the still living red fungal tissues within the crystal flora. They can act as a minor defense, as colonies present within and on the surface of the flora can produce bitterants or non digestible waste products that would make the crystal unappealing to potential predators. Still others appear to take the opposite approaches, releasing sugary and nutrient rich waste or pheromonic compounds to attract predators. These predators will then ingest the colonies, which can pass relatively unharmed through their digestive systems allowing for a dispersal of these microbes across wide distances. They exist on all terrestrial and freshwater environments on Sagan 4, with each species specializing to be unique to each species of crystal flora. Their abundance and important role in the nutrient cycles have allowed them, in certain locations, to make up a significant percentage of the soil biomass.