Slurry Aquarium Polyph
As Seruceius aquarius’ range expanded southward, it encounter an increasingly fluctuating day-night cycle and ever colder temperatures, and the heat storage mechanisms it used was no longer an adequate mean of thermoregulation. Some, by chance, happened to grow patches of Amplisphaeria abstractus and and captured them within their water tank, along with zone N’s other thermogenic biota. Overtime, they coevolved with and adapted to zone N’s climate, becoming Seruceious australensis(slurry polyph).
The slurry polyph is similar to its ancestors, starting out as 4 stems that join each other, and form a membrane between themselves. Unlike their ancestors, the membrane is now a transparent green and able to to photosynthesize by themselves, encouraging the growth of the polyph and allowing the membrane to form more quickly. The green membrane does not noticeably lower the productivity of A. abstractus as they use different wavelengths and do not compete with each other. Also unlike their ancestors, their roots shallow, as it cannot penetrate permafrost, and thin to maximize water and nutrient absorption. To survive throughout the polar night, they slow down their metabolism and release sugars such as starch, which are attached to proteins that keep them from being consumed by their symbionts, into the tank as an energy store that they can draw upon to during the lack of sunlight.
Their reproduction, is similar to their ancestors, but the appendages that the seeds are attached to are enlongated to help the seeds catch the wind, since they cannot be dispersed by rainfall in zone N; when they’re ready to reproduce, the leaves slightly curl upward to expose the seeds. The seeds are slightly heavier so they won’t be carried far from the parent.
This is because the polyphs usually grow within patches of A. abstractus, and so, offsprings that grew closer to their parent had a more consistent source of A. abstractus for their initial growth which created a selection pressure for something that would keep them close to their parent at the cost of competition. The seeds may be dispersed further from their parents through either muscals or extremely strong winds. They produce a maximum of 10 seeds per year due investing more into the seeds themselves as well as for reducing competition. Individual polyphs growing close to together usually have an average minimum distance of ~1 meter away from each other. This polyph grows at a slower rate than their ancestor due to inconsistent nutrition and extreme temperatures, with an average of 5cm in height per year and a max height of 20cm. Unlike their ancestors, they fill the tank with water and nutrients as they grow before their membranes are fully enclosed to support their symbionts.
Relations:
Due to evolving to trap other within them during growth, the slurry polyph can develop interconnected mini-ecosystems within themselves that benefit them and their symbionts.
The most important of these relationship is with A. abstractus as it enables the polyph’s survival. A. abstractus is offered a consistent source of water and nutrients and a less serendipitous environment within the polyph in return for offering the polyph antifreeze and heat.
P. duocytus, while not being essential to the polyph’s survival, decomposes dead cells and other organic materials within the tank and returning nutrients to the producers. They are somewhat stunted by the oxic environment, being anaerobes, and mostly stay near the bottom of the polyph.
S. panensis experience very stunted growth within the polyph, due the lack of oxygen and methane.
They grow more slowly and to a smaller size which is a benefit in this situation as they won’t overtake the polyph, causing it to burst and killing both of them while giving more room to their offsprings, and they keep the polyph from exploding by consuming the gases generated by P. duocytus. They also enter relationships with A. abstractus, sustaining their population, especially during the polar nights, through offering them food.