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Telam Achlys

Named in Honor of the Greek Goddess who was the Personification of “The Mist of Death.”

Cell Diameter 0.4-1.5µm

Arm to Arm 0.7-2.1 µm

Arose 813 million years P.C.

Taking advantage of the low pH found in Hydrothermal fields, Achlys does not neutralize, but instead actively gathers whatever acid is present.

Like a Tai-Chi master using their attacker’s own momentum against them, Achlys uses the refined proton pumps present in its cell membrane, IBZ, and membrane threads to soak up and concentrate whatever acid is present. It then floods it’s web nets with said acid to assist in dissolving whatever prey it captures.

Favors Silica and barium biomineralization in white smoker hydrothermal fields because of relative abundance of said elements in such an environment. Fittingly favors sulfur, iron, and lithium for similar reasons in black smoker fields.

This further modifies the IBZ or Internal Buffer Zone. As previously stated, the IBZ is a cloud of

deactivation proteins and enzymes that break down anything not packaged with matching transport proteins, found only within the Jawaal lineage. Though initially serving as a line of defense against bacteriophages, this trait has been modified over time to serve as defense against a myriad of damage. Exposure to radiation experienced by the Kuayl species during the first age of Vulcanism (733 - 871 Million Years P.C.) necessitated the addition of repair enzymes in high concentration, as well as the addition of proton pumps to mitigate UV damage experienced during open air travel.

Dwelling in such highly acidic environments forces Achlys to form multiple layers of the IBZ around the native DNA, internalizing acid free web threads which are woven with the aforementioned proton pumps imbedded within said weave. Genetic repair Enzymes, Digestive/breakdown Enzymes, and deactivation proteins for non-Jawaal coded injections are circulated through the threads that form the membranous weave.

Internal Buffer Zone (IBZ) arranged in repeated layers around native genetic material.

In order to avoid dissolving their own capture threads, they are now composed of Fluoropolymers, a class of plastic known for its high tolerance to acids and composed of carbon and fluorine obtained from dissolved crust in hydrothermal fields.

Polytetrafluoroethylene Polymer ((C2F4)N), or more commonly known as Teflon (the coating that prevents burned food from sticking to the surface of your cooking pan), spirals in order to form the tubes that make up the membranous web nets which surround Achlys.

Dwelling in such environments quickens the developmental process and provides abundant ambient energy. This diminishes the need for the parent cell to package stored energy to offspring but increases the need for motility to avoid being carried out of said environment by oceanic currents. Some will use their nets to stay tethered to substrate, even dissolving rock in order to stay locked in place.

Life Cycle Proceeds as Follows:

1. Daughter cell forms and buds off from main cellular body at point between three web nets to avoid being caught and digested by parent.
2. Using stored and ambient energy to rapidly form cilia which are then used to stay tethered to hydrothermal habitat while undergoing energetically costly development of nets and spines.
3. Between six and thirty-six cilia form and begin to differentiate between spine quills and web net strands. Spine quills biomineralize using either Silica (SiO2) to form glass, or Iron Pyrite (FeS2), depending on the type of hydrothermal field Achlys dwells in.
4. Spines are hormonally influenced to form equidistant in relation to each other across the cellular body, and soft cilia align in straight lines and rows bridging the quills. This is done through the use of two hormones, a precipitate binding protein we will call “Gargoyle,” and a signal hormone which prevents the formation of spines, which we will call “Too-Close.”
5. While Gargoyle causes the precipitation and binding of dissolved minerals present in the environment, Too-Close is triggered to release from an individual cilium when it senses concentrations exceeding a certain threshold of Gargoyle. This prevents spines forming immediately next to each other and instead maintaining roughly equidistant formation.
6. Soft cilia branch and intertwine, merging at points of contact to form the net-like structure of its eventual capture webs.  Cilia which make contact with spines adhere and become encased in silica (or pyrite) due to ongoing biomineralization. This locks the strands to both cellular body at base and embeds the tip within one of said spines.
7. Upon the completion of web formation and embedding of soft cilia tips, a Gargoyle variant causes polymerization occurring on the outermost surface of each thread. In this case however, rather than silica or pyrite they become incased in Polytetrafluoroethylene ((C2F4)N) or PTFE. This is done by utilizing Fluorine present in the rocky substrate to which Achlys binds itself during its metamorphosis.
8. Proton pumps imbedded in membrane begin pumping acid into cellular body, where they are redirected by the IBZ into cilia. This acid floods the strands of the web net, dissolving most organic material within the threads, leaving only the PTFE coated semi-permeable membrane, on the outermost exterior of each thread. This is done at the cost of any motility or sensory capabilities the threads previously possessed, making them little more than filamentous water balloons of burning pain.
9. Acid begins to eat into the substrates which make up the spines, secreted out through the cilia tips imbedded within said quills. This facilitates the formation of intricate network channels connecting the separate threads.
10. Achlys frees itself from substrate and begins the motile adult phase of its life cycle.

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Ancestral Organism

Lateen Ventoúza

Greek term for suction cup, in reference to the use of it’s sails to adhere to surfaces.

Cell Diameter 0.4-1.1 µm
Full Diameter 0.8-3.5 µm
Height 0.5-1.5 µm

Arose 793 million years P.C.

Initially evolving to act as decomposers of marine snow, Ventouza is outcompeted just 15 million years later by Telam Warda, with it’s superior capture and sensory methods. This pressures Ventouza to take advantage of it’s open air dispersal adaptations as a member of the Lateen lineage.

Recall that thanks to the Radiation tolerance adaptations recieved by Ventouza’s ancestors (namely the kuayl family of deep ocean hydrothermal environments), the Lateen species was able to invent the unoccupied niche of predatory aeroplankton.
Due to the absence of sophisticated capture methods, Lateen is unable to take full advantage of this opportunity to the extent where it could hunt autotrophic aeroplankton such as members of the Orphyton clade.

This makes Ventouza excellent for intertidal and reef habitats where open air exposure due to tidal forces are a daily obstacle.

Taking on a sessile lifestyle, Ventouza can make use of it’s generalist adaptability. Initially utilizing three of it’s spines to dig into substrate surfaces, Ventouza adapts to also use it’s “petals” as a suction-cup surface to adhere to the matground of the shallows and reefs.
While bottom of petals suction to the matground of the bacterially rich substrate, the top is a highly permeable membrane for the purpose of prey capture.

Petal interior is inflated with CDE, acting as analogous structure to digestive vacuole of many other heterotrophs of a more familiar form. Freed nutrients after digestion is transported into cellular body. Evolves wide instead of long petals to lessen transport from petal to cell body, along with abundant Lycopene to lessen damage by ROS from digestion process. Pigment doubles as UV protection. spawns from center.

Releases offspring from central point of cellular body to avoid capture and digestion of own offspring.

Lifecycle proceeds as follows:

1. Daughter cell offspring buds off from central cell body.
2. Drifts as Planktonic organism in order to achive sufficient enough distance, and avoid direct competition with parent cell.
3. Begins absorbing Silicic Acid ((H2xSiOx+2)n) which is abundant in the intertidal waters thanks to errosion and sulfuric acid secreted by the Ydra clade.
4. Begins Nectonic phase of life cycle, even achieving open air transport thanks to it’s Lateen ancestry to increase dispersal range even further.
5. Organism is predisposed to undergo dormancy after prolonged periods without prey capture, especially when exposed to open air, where “bumping into” prey species would be a rare occurance at this point in Demeter’s history.
6. Ventoúza will utilize suction action of pressure triggered membrane sails in order to latch onto flat stone or matground surface.
7. Incorporates Biomineralization on underside in order to fix permanently to rocky substrate, in manner similar to modern day coral species.
8. Upon finishing permanent fixation to surface, Ventoúza would begin the sessile portion of it’s decomposer lifestyle.

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so i'm an artist who does speculative biology for fun, and have been working with different lineages that produce different monosaccharide sugars. i was designing the species profile for an organism that preys on a clade that produces mannose, and was playing around with the transform function on adobe illustrator and created this six pyranose mannose ring.

i know that cyclodextrin is composed of seven pyranose of glucose, but i'm having trouble finding this particular configuration and sugar type. i doubt i just invented a compound never before observed in nature, so i was wondering if anyone could help me identify this sort of structure and what properties it would have that i could incorporate to the cell wall of the organisms that produced it on my hypothetical alien world.

reverse image searching has been useless so far so i thought i'd ask here. if it turns out this structure isn't feasible for some reason i'm open to other suggestions for mannons i can use so long as you can provide resources so i can create the diagram for the structure properly and accurately myself (i want to avoid just inserting diagrams from elsewhere to keep the visuals relatively consistent, as well as improve my skills with diagram illustration.

any and all help welcome, thank you for your time and attention!

Vitrum Flamberge

Classical French term used to describe “flame bladed swords.” This alludes to the two planes of serrated silica spike panels fanning perpendicular to one another across it’s membrane.

0.5-1.3 µm Cell Diameter
0.7-1.9 µm Arm to Arm

Arose 814 million years P.C.

Forsakes Lycopene and precipitates biomineralized silica glass on membrane sails, using layers of glass for rayleigh scattering effect for protection from over exposure of UV light.

Biomineralized glass sails are sharp and spiked at edges to blur the line between decomposer and active predator.

Extracellular spines and razor sails complicate division process, making Flamberge’s reproductive cycle a truncated mess.

Necessity to break down and reform glass spines makes Flamberge an evolutionary mess doomed to extinction.

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Balaena Warda

Arabic for Rose, in reference to it’s layered open flower shape.

0.6-2.1 µm Cell Diameter
1.3-4.5 µm Full Axial Radius
1.1-3.5 µm Full Organism Height

Arose 808 million years P.C.

Adapts to sesile lifestyle on ocean floor, directing arms and web nets upward to catch marine snow.

Further intensifies pili and microvilli’s sensitivity to discern which direction is in contact with substrate to attach to surfaces, and which is opposite, and therefore the direction inwhich it should point it’s other spurs and spread it’s web nets.

Offspring is only released from portions of cellular body beneath web nets to avoid being caught by web nets or trapped beneath recently caught prey in said nets.

Being incapable of sensing gravity and only able to differentiate between open water and portions in physical contact with substrate, Warda is severely limited in it’s developmental processes.

Furthermore, since Warda is resistent to HGT from non Jawaal species but more than happy to share it’s own genes, it’s reasonable to assume it would be the donor to an organism more suitable to metabolizing marine snow than itself.

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Kokkine Torpille

Greek for Red and French for Torpedo.

0.3-0.6 µm Axial Cell Diameter
0.7-1.7 µm Full Axial Diameter
1-2.1 µm Cell length
1.3-2.7 µm Full length

Arose 841 million years P.C.

First came to be in the Mov Sea before it and The Cage become separated by the rise of The Vestigial Peninsula, as shorelines recede due to the planetary cool-down’s creation of polar glaciers.

HGT with Lateen Vitram facilitates gaining the ability to synthesize the Carotenoid pigment Lycopene, for both UV protection and antioxidant mechanism.

Concentrates pigment within cellular body as additional protection against UV damage, with the added bonus of antioxidant capabilities.

Cellular membrane exterior becomes slightly wrinkled and uneven as a result of fluctuations in salt concentration, thanks to Torpile adapting to survive both fresh and salt water habitats. In freshwater, Torpille swells thanks to osmotic pressure, and shrivels and wrinkles as salt concentration increases.

Cellular body and cilia arms lengthen to improve motility, to aid in Torpille’s need to swim upstream in the Gyllenhaal Riverlands.

Evolves the Enzyme Lycopene β-cyclase (LCYB) to produce β-carotene. This Enzyme is a common Stress response to both drought and high light levels.

822 Million Years P.C.
Sporting an atmosphere between 25˚C and 77˚C (77-171˚F), and Oceanic temperatures ranging from 17-65˚C (63-149˚F), Demeter has a high shoreline from a lack of Glacial Ice.

900 Million Years P.C.
Ongoing Chemical changes to both the Oceans (now -7-59˚C \ 19-138˚F) and atmosphere (-29-62˚C \ -20-144˚F) gradually lowers the temperature range Demeter, facilitating Glaciation and receding water to expose formerly immersed landmass.

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Ancestral Organisms

Lateen Vitram

Latin for Glass, in reference to the silica spikes encircling it's outer membrane.

0.7-1.5 µm Cell Diameter
0.9-3.3 µm Full Diameter

Arose 797 million years P.C.

Biomineralized Silica forms glass spikes and rings surrounding cellular body to double as both antioxidant systems and structural support.

Carotenoid production increases to assist in antioxidant system and pigment protection from high UV exposure. Adds Violerythrin to the list of pigments manufactured within the cellular body.

Membrane sails become flowing and flexible to increase aerial motility.

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Telam Balaena

Latin for Whale, referring to the thick cell membrane of fat, protecting the cell from it’s acidic environment.

0.3-1.7 µm Cell Diameter
0.6-2.6 µm Arm to Arm

Arose 797 million years P.C.

Taking the simplest approach to dealing with low oceanic pH, Balaena thickens and toughens it’s membrane with lipids for protection. As a result, Balaena forsakes intake of nutrients through it’s membrane and relies solely on it’s membrane threads.

This change also makes cell division more difficult, making the organism prioritize energy storage upon division paramount. This is done to allow the offspring to have the energy it needs to develope it’s Quills and web nets.

Spreads throughout Demeter’s oceans, silent hunters ready to devour whatever makes the mistake of making contact. This will drive other organisms to develop to:

-avoid making contact

-avoid setting off Balaena if contact is made

-somehow counterattack upon touching

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Lateen Alqutbia

From the Arabic term for Polarity, in reference to it’s native habitat of low altitude polar locations.

0.3-0.7 µm Cell Diameter 0.4-1.2 µm Arm to Arm

Arose 782 million years P.C.

Prioritizes the manufacture of lycopene and neurosporene in order to minimize energetic cost of pigment manufacture in order to conserve energy. Neurosporene has demonstrated a high capacity for protecting E. Coli Cultures from UV-B Radiation.*

Through Horizontal Gene Transfer (HGT) with Kuayl Telam, Alqutbia gains the ability to undergo dormancy during aerial travel, only “waking up” when once again submerged in water.

*Carotenoids from UV-resistant Antarctic Microbacterium sp. LEMMJ01, Maria Cristina PP Reis-Mansur et all., 2019

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Lumping together some of my lower detailed profiles from the Jawaal family. These are probably among the last simplistic species profiles I’ll ever make, so it’s all up-hill from here folks!

Uitta Capsula

Latin Root for Capsule, in reference to its new, more hydrodynamic shape.

0.3-0.5 µm Axial Cell Diameter
0.8-1.7 µm Full Axial Diameter
0.8-1.7 µm Cell length

Arose 770 million years P.C.

Cell lengthens to achieve a more hydrodynamic shape for less resistance and greater speed.

Membrane ribbons condense and separate into six double pouches upon each flagellated arm. Each pouch is highly permeable and adhesive for dissolving prey upon contact.

Adds a second cellular membrane with gelatinous CDE (Cytoplasmic Digestive Enzyme) manufacture sites sandwiched between them. CDE is then pumped from manufacture site into flagella pouches.

CDE manufacture sites add a layer of refraction to lessen UV exposure suffered by the inside of the cell.

 

Capsula Tripoda

In reference to its three capture arms and three flagella tails for motility.
Axial Cell Diameter 0.3-0.4 µm
Full Axial Diameter 0.7-1.3 µm
Cell length 0.8-1.7 µm
full length 1.3-2.4 µm

Arose 796 million years P.C.

Undergoes cellular tagmosis and differentiation between capture arms located at front, and streamlined motility flagella which become concentrated at the cells rear end.

 

Capsula Ventrem

Latin for Gut, referring to its front-facing Vesicle housing the digestive enzymes.

Axial Cell Diameter 0.3-0.5 µm
Full Axial Diameter 0.3-0.5 µm
Cell Length 0.6-1.1 µm

Arose 783 P.C.

By internalizing some of the membrane sails, Ventrem constructs a digestion vacuole placed at font or "head" end of organism. This allows Ventrem to swim headfirst, directly engulfing prey.

Adapts flagella pouches into membrane sail after HGT Kuayl Lateen. This combined with the Capsula body plan creates the fastest, most streamlined form seen thus far on Demeter.

 

Ventrem Gavish

Hebrew for Crystal.

0.3-0.4 µm Axial Cell Diameter
0.5-1 µm Full Axial Diameter
0.7-1.1 µm Cell length
0.6-1.4 µm Cell length

Arose 813 million years P.C.

Inhabits the Coastal Reefs and Intertidal Zones of Demeter’s Southern Vulcan Islands.

Gains the ability to Biomineralize Luddenite, a Copper-Lead Silicate mineral thanks to HGT with Vitrum Flamberge, and the bioavailability of those two elements. This allows Gavish to maintain sharp, interlocking plates of metal-silicate glass along membrane fins.

Luddenite
Formula: Cu2Pb2Si5O14 · 4H2O
Colour: Translucent nickel green
Hardness: 4
Specific Gravity: 4.45
Crystal System: Monoclinic
Name: Named in honor of Raymond W. Ludden (August 1919 - 1 April 2015) the chief geologist for Western Exploration, Phelps Dodge Corporation.

 

Kokkine Poloí

Greek term for many, in reference to it’s multiple vesicles.

0.3-0.7 µm Axial Cell Diameter
0.7-1.9 µm Full Axial Diameter
0.7-2.3 µm Cell length

Arose 853 million years P.C.

Through mutation to Hox Genes, Poloi gains multiple vesicles across cellular body. Poloi gains five more vacuoles, each containing digestive enzymes but also solid precipitate. Internal lining of digestive vacuoles are dotted with mechanosensory triggers.

This acts in an analogous manner to the Gravitropism sensitive vacuoles found in the endodermal cells surrounding the amyloplasts of plant roots.

 

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