Trunkbeards
| Trunkbeards | ||
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| (Branchiisaplumeis spp.) | ||
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| Information | ||
| Creator | Nergali Other | |
| Week/Generation | 27/167 | |
| Habitat | Jujubee, LadyM, Mnid, Barlowe-Lamarck Shelf, Drake Shelf, Fermi Shelf, Kosemen-Wallace Shelf, Ramul-Steiner Shelf, Vonnegut Shelf, Driftwoods | |
| Size | 1-10 cm Long | |
| Primary Mobility | Unknown | |
| Support | Unknown | |
| Diet | Detritivore, Planktivore, Weak Photosynthesis | |
| Respiration | Passive (Filamentous Growths) | |
| Thermoregulation | Ectothermic | |
| Reproduction | Sexual, Spawning, 2 Sexes | |
| Taxonomy | ||
| Domain Superkingdom Kingdom Subkingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus Species | Eukaryota Viridisagania Mancerxa Phytozoa (info) Phylloichthyia (info) Cycloptifabae Scuttlerestiformes Scuttlerestidae Branchiisaplumeis Branchiisaplumeis spp. | |
| Ancestor: | Descendants: |
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Trunkbeards have split from the scuttlers and diversified into their own distinct genus. Distinguished from their kin by the proverbial "beards" that coat their trunks, these filamentous growths play a major role in the respiration, serving as sites for gas exchange. While other scuttlers must rely on gas exchange through their skin and/or gulping in mouthfuls of water in order to perform respiration, this adaptation in the form of specialized gill structures within the trunkbeards has proven to be much more efficient system, which in turn has allowed for their success. But respiration is not the sole function of these "beards", for each filament is packed with chlorophyll, leading to their green coloration. While trunkbeards do not rely primarily on photosynthesis like most other swarmers do, the extra energy it provides gives them a slight competitive boost over similarly sized competition that lacks the capacity to perform it.
Interestingly, the dense, almost grass-like structure of the trunkbeard's gills are often times the home to a dense microcosm of tinier organisms. While the majority of this life is microbial, occasionally some larger organisms may make their homes here, such as specialized chainswarmers and the like. While many of these organisms are commensalists, neither harming nor helping the trunkbeards, some are actively parasitic and feed on their host, while others are symbiotic and help keep the filamentous gills clean.
Benthic dwellers once fully matured, many trunkbeards either create burrows of their own or appropriate the abandoned burrows of burraroms. Entering them backwards, they secure themselves within these dens with their armored limbs in order to prevent themselves from being dragged out during the night by predators. Once dawn comes, they emerge from their burrows and begin to feed and scuttle about, taking advantage of detritus and other food sources. As they snatch up food with their sensitive lips, should they detect danger, however, they will quickly retreat to their burrows for safety.
Should they be caught out in the open, trunkbeards are not without defenses to protect themselves with. Many will secure themselves in holes or crevices, partially retracting their trunks about halfway into their bodies in order to reduce the chance of it being snagged by a predator, and then hunker down for safety. Several species of trunkbeards produce mild toxins that permeate their flesh, capable of causing severe nausea in anything willing to eat them, and they advertise this danger to potential predators with their bright colors. Most, however, rely on thin needle-like spines that sprout from their backsides. Almost hair-like in appearance, they break easily and impale the flesh of would-be attackers. The tiny barbs that coat them serving to only imbed them ever deeper with every muscular twitch and spasm of whatever poor creature they've found themselves within the flesh of. While this makes them a major irritant on their own, they can cause blindness should they become imbedded within the eyes of an organism.
While breeding patterns vary between species, all trunkbeards reproduce by spawning. Males will grip females with their limbs, and together they will release their genetic material into the surrounding water. As the eggs float upwards towards the surface, they join the thick clouds of plankton that congregate there and drift around at the mercy of the currents. The eggs typically hatch within a week, and the resulting larvae flutter about - their limbs being very loose and non-rigid unlike adults - as feed on smaller planktonic life. They will remain like this for several weeks, until eventually they begin to grow large enough to sink to the seafloor. By this point they resemble miniature versions of the adults, and they will often seek out cover as they continue to grow. Should they survive to sexual maturity, which typically takes up to two years, depending on the species, they will in turn go on to produce offspring of their own.