Melamnas

Melamnas
(Melamna spp.)
Information
Creator	Mnidjm Other
Week/Generation	27/167
Habitat	Jujubee, Mnid, Fermi Shelf, Kosemen-Wallace Shelf, Vonnegut Shelf
Size	1-6 cm Long
Primary Mobility	Sessile, Pleustonic
Support	Unknown
Diet	Photosynthesis
Respiration	Passive (Diffusion)
Thermoregulation	Ectothermic
Reproduction	Sexual (Budding), Asexual Autolytic Budding
Taxonomy
Domain Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species	Eukaryota Phaiobiota Phaiophyca Argentothallia Melanonautales Melamnaceae Melamna Melamna spp.

Ancestor:	Descendants:
Southern Bubblgea

The melamnas are the result of a convergent evolution within the southern bubblgea allowing for sexual reproduction. This has allowed the primordial melemna to out compete their ancestor, before spreading to throughout the southern waters, and overtime diversifying into a dozen species. Melamnas favor a smaller body frame, as they prefer reaching reproductive capabilities quickly. This floating mechanism ensures a wide dispersal range, enabling melamna to colonize vast stretches of coastal habitats, often in record time. All species of melamna are free-floating. This means it is not restricted by the depth or substrate of the water body. It thrives in both deep seas and shallow rockpools. The adaptive advantage of being unanchored also means it can easily colonize new areas, either through water currents or by hitching a ride on passing fauna

Despite their diminutive size, melamnas can reproduce both sexually and asexually, though they typically favor latter, allowing for their population sizes to compete with larger floras. Asexually, it reproduces by autolysis, where a single frond can spawn several generations of daughter fronds in quick succession by dropping a petal, which will then sink to the seabed and from there clonal daughter flora will emerge. When the whole organism dies the process is similar, however they can result in significantly more young being produced. The remains act as a nutrient source that the flora can use to jumpstart growth. This method can allow for fronds to blanket the water surface in just a matter of weeks. When they do sexually reproduce, they do so in a method similar to the colonial bubblgea, where they produce undeveloped buds on their roots carrying half of their parent's genetic material. These buds will then detach and merge with other colonial bubblgeas they encounter in the water, resulting in offspring possessing complete genomes from both parents. Often, these buds will end up fusing with others of the same parent, producing clonal flora, but enough genetic exchange happens to keep genetic diversity abundant. Once fused the buds will sink to the seabed where they will remain until they reach a size large enough to become buoyant and detach, drifting with ocean currents.

In addition to its reproductive and adaptive prowess, the melemna has entered into a mutualistic relationship with certain species of nitrogen-fixing microbes like the nitrocycles. These microbes, residing in their roots, fix atmospheric nitrogen into a form that the melemnas can use. In return, the melemna offers these microbes a stable environment and nutrients. This relationship allows the melemna to grow in waters that might be deficient in nitrates, effectively outcompeting other floras that rely solely on the water's nutrient content. This is particularly useful in the open waters where nutrients are scarce.

The proliferation of melemna has benefits for the ecosystem. The dense mats formed by melamna provide shelter for juvenile marine creatures and a variety of microorganisms and fauna, which in turn serve as a food source for larger predators. Moreover, they act as filtration systems, absorbing excess nutrients and contaminants, purifying coastal waters in the process. Its dense coverage reduces evaporation and shoreline erosion, maintaining water levels in smaller bodies during hotter months. By filtering sunlight, it also plays a role in regulating water temperatures, which can be beneficial to certain aquatic life.