Libraphotocyanus palirroias
With populations of Libraphotocyanus epihydra in Zone I1, some would inevitably wash up on shore. Many that ended up on the shore would die via desiccation, any that could survive would have an uncontested niche. This would lead to the ancestors of Libraphotocyanus palirroias becoming the first members of the genus Libraphotocyanus to live outside of the water for any period of time.
60 micrometers long
Originated in Zones I1 and I (along the shoreline of the lake)
As their ancestors washed up on the land, individuals with thicker cell walls lasted longer. This adaptation would give them enough time to survive until the tide returned. This led to Libraphotocyanus palirroias having significantly thicker cell walls, allowed them to survive for hours exposed to the air. This adaptation does however limit their ability to exchange gases, so to counter this they have evolved specialized pores that open and close. This allows them to remain sealed when on land, reopening in the water. These pores also help with releasing waste and bringing in nutrients.
Living in shallow waters where the tides go out meant they did not need to rely on buoyancy, if anything their ancestral oil-filled vacuole was now a detriment which resulted in the structure being vestigial and in certain individuals lost entirely. Libraphotocyanus palirroias retains the smaller vacuoles for lipids as well as fats since these can be used for their growth. Libraphotocyanus palirroias uses osmoconformity and their thick cell walls to deal with living in brackish water, which causes it to become turgid at lower salinities than the ocean.
Due to their thicker cell walls, along with the vacuoles present within the cell, Libraphotocyanus palirroias take 40-60 minutes to reproduce via mitosis. Although they only do this when the tide comes in, splitting apart in the open air may cost too much energy or moisture, reproductive activity is halted while exposed.
While the adaptations of Libraphotocyanus palirroias allow it to survive out of water for hours at a time, they still need water so the range of this species changes from the wet season to the dry season, with individuals found at the high tide mark for the wet season dying out as water levels go down. Those found below the high tide mark survive, and often end up getting pushed back to the high tide mark once the wet season returns.
