Barge Helix
The Barge Helix (Tendocirculix diududum) is a long, continuously-growing helix that floats at the surface of water consuming whatever organic debris it can get ahold of. Thanks to its exceptional telomerase production, it has an impressively long lifespan, often living up to 100 years.
Unlike their ancestor, they don't use their suction cup-like head to adhere to surfaces, instead just going with the flow of the water. A pocket of air in the shells allows them to stay afloat, safe from the predators and competition below.
It's common to see dense clusters of Barge Helixes that have gotten their bodies and tentacles tangled together. This proves beneficial, however, effectively acting as a large net to gather up all kinds of floating matter. Like their ancestor, they will feed on floating seeds and polyphs such as S. podius. Their tastes have continued to become more generalized (advantageous due to their lack of mobility), and they show no preference toward food sources, happily eating dead muscals if they come across them.
There are rings of tentacles along the body that appear about every 2 inches. These taste-sensitive tentacles are used to seek out edible matter and draw it towards the mouth. Somewhat larger than their ancestor due to the abundance of floating food captured by their tentacle nets, they can grow up to 12 inches long, with a shell diameter of 2-4 inches.
Like most helixes, they are hermaphrodites capable of both asexual and sexual reproduction. When reproducing sexually, sperm is released into the water to be received by nearby helixes. Eggs are deposited around the opening the shell, where they sit until they hatch.
