Havsfjäder
Name means: Sea feather.
Their ancestors were colonial Sakätare that would form vertical structures to reach the nutrients in the currents just above the seabed. Eventually, their cells would specialize into skin cells, calcium-producing cells, reproductive cells, and many more. Havsfjädrar are, for the most part, hollow, which allows them to grow taller without increasing their volume and energy consumption too much. This does come at the cost of their internal integrity being non-existent, which could lead to much damage in rough waters. Therefore, they create a flexible structure made out of a combination of calcium carbonate and organic proteins within their hollow interior. The structure possesses many holes and cavities. This reduces its strength but makes it cheaper to build and maintain, as well as allowing the Havsfjäder to store nutrients within its liquid interior.
Their ancestors were colonial Sakätare that would form vertical structures to reach the nutrients in the currents just above the seabed. Eventually, their cells would specialize into skin cells, calcium-producing cells, reproductive cells, and many more. Havsfjädrar are, for the most part, hollow, which allows them to grow taller without increasing their volume and energy consumption too much. This does come at the cost of their internal integrity being non-existent, which could lead to much damage in rough waters. Therefore, they create a flexible structure made out of a combination of calcium carbonate and organic proteins within their hollow interior. The structure possesses many holes and cavities. This reduces its strength but makes it cheaper to build and maintain, as well as allowing the Havsfjäder to store nutrients within its liquid interior.
Basic Information
Genetics and Reproduction
Havsfjädrar are r-selected broadcast spawners. That is to say, they release as many gametes, sex cells, as possible into the waters in hopes that some of them develop into larvae. Furthermore, by timing the release of gametes together with other individuals, and the seasaons if they are applicable, the chance of fertilization increases drastically. Therefore, full-grown individuals under satisfactory conditions will time their gamete releases together with others. This results in local clouds of sex cells floating through the ocean. The larvae formed during these blooms cannot swim against the currents and are therefore a type of plankton. They will remain so until they accumulate enough mass through passively absorbing nutrients. When they are heavy enough and their feather is nearly developed, drag will cause them to sink to the bottom. There, they will fix their base through an adhesive mucus. Most individuals will spend their entire lives in a single spot. But if resources become scarce or the currents halt, they can uproot themselves and use a severely limited musculature to wiggle through the water. Most of the gametes and larvae will not grow into mature individuals. Instead, they will become detritus that can be eaten by Bottenmask or other Havsfjäder. The cycle of life will therefore never end.
Dietary Needs and Habits
The Havsfjäder's feather passively absorbs edible particles through diffusion. They are then shoved away from the feather itself and into the organism's hollow cavity to allow additional particles to diffuse into the membrane. Once inside the Havsfjäder's internal storage, the food particles will be broken down into their base components, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, etc, to then be passively distributed, once again through diffusion, throughout the organism.
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