Cave Pinthanatos

Cave Pinthanatos
Creator	Gonthor
Information
Status	Extant
Common Name(s)	Cave Pinthanatos
Zones	Da
Roles	Decomposer
Classification
Genus	Pinthanatos
Species	Pinthanatos cavensis
Evolution
Date	April 8th, 2021
Ancestor	Pinthanatos khthonspongos
Descendants	No results

Pinthanatos cavensis, or the Cave Pinthanatos, is the result of Pinthanatos khthonspongos zoospores making their way into the cave DA during rain. With no decomposers, the cave system had a buildup of dead polyph matter washed in from the surface, which these invaders took full advantage of. However, with no polyphs living in the caves, it was not long before they ran out of food. Fortunately, the zoospore's ability to enter stasis proved key to their survival. Instead of only going into stasis when conditions are too dry, it will also go into stasis when there is not enough food, detected by the presence of solvents associated with detritus (the same as what activates it to enter the next life stage). This allowed them to wait out the arrival of new polyph matter which fell in from the surface and survive in this harsh, lightless environment.

The Cave Pinthanatos is very similar to its ancestor in lifestyle, depending on water which enters the caves through rain to spread and find new polyph matter to consume. They can also travel through the water deeper in the cave, but detritus is mostly concentrated closer to the entrance of the cave, so they are generally only found in their mature mycelial stage near the entrenches. When a zoospore finds dead polyph matter it will enter its next life stage and generate mycelia. Similar to its ancestor it resists osmotic pressure with its chitinous cell wall.

In its mature stage the Cave Pinthanatos will produce lots of zoospores when it i drying out or running out of food before going into stasis. It produces even less fuscimalase than before, having no competition to fight against at all other than members of its own species. It is 10μm long and has a faint tannish color.