A genus of five idiobiont parasitoids descended from the extinct
ranoma. They are the most widespread of all mersanida species, and the most difficult to root out, due to their hardiness and high adaptability.
Etymology and Definition
Habitat & Population
All species of ranomaru have healthy levels of populations and so far resistant to any organized attempts at extermination. Most governments have rulings in place that make the sightings of ranomaru compulsory to report.
Methods for detection and removal of ranomaru infestations are taught to most personnel working within vermin extermination services. Severe infestations may call for containment procedures and the assistance of local security forces.
Geographic Origin
Today's ranomaru species are believed to have evolved from the ranoma. The ranoma likely either came to Rosepetal during the Tasivian Scourge, when the
Tasiv's Tear was still active, or hitchhiked with riftcrafts from the
darkverse.
Galactic Distribution
Aymaln
Corpucubicuzata Ailaeurinatoro
Spread across several Ascendant worlds, including Csassoj, Csmoj, Hshaai, Lsednj, Lusoya, Msatosl, Nthruv, Ojvyun, Sumbdja, and Vnourasi. Despite its spread across so many worlds, it's overall population is comparably low.Tajolim
Corpucubicuzata Harenaxsultor
First appeared on Moskaloreb, and later has spread to Teocati, Therän, and Xioutlis.Skifter
Corpucubicuzata Spiraculuserpor
Specialized surviving on artificial worlds, such as ecumenopolises and different loci, and is the most commonly seen vermin sneaking aboard ships. Larger populations are found on Eokin, Krasoy, Kueral, Lineton, Liria, Malfarun, Minute, Nevemth, Ojol, Omphalis Hub, Palejos, Rinbo, Serkan, Strantos, Thöll, and Vjetos. They're considered a major menace due to their propensity for infesting biomech factories, medical centers, and clinics.Zeroleik
Corpucubicuzata Repoconceresvernor
The last species to be discovered, and appears to have specialized on feeding off species in the Repoconceres order. They're exclusively found on Sketh worlds within the containment zone.Snuckler
Corpucubicuzata Quisquibeluor
Evolved on Longsmell, and then spread to Dammer and Vandesmyr.Biology
Dietary Needs & Habits
Ranomaru have proven very capable of adapting to new environments and their available food supply.
Their diet is predominantly carnivorous, but they're able to fill out their calorie intake with nearly anything organic if they have to. Considered to be lazy hunters they'll live off carrion and decaying plant matter first. Their second choice is live prey, and they've been known to gather in packs in order to overwhelm and kill prey several times larger than themselves. If nothing else is available, they'll feed off of any types of plants, and lastly anything organic that happens to be available.
When feeding, ranomaru will typically engorge themselves and then retreat to a safe spot to rest while the ingested food is converted by their symbiotes directly in the gut. Only once the plenumeiosic process is done and the resulting biomatter digested fully will the ranomaru go out to hunt again.
Prey too large to swallow they'll attempt to drag away to a secluded spot so they can expel the contents of their guts inside its abdomen and let their symbionts process it externally. Anything that their symbiotes can't convert is expelled or left behind.Parasitic & Symbiotic Organisms
The ranomaru are in co-dependent symbiosis with the microorganism
metabile plenumeiron (
M. Dilabuceres Adisumarior), that colonizes their gut. When coming in contact with carbon lifeforms they act as an infective pathogen with viroid traits, first triggering muscular paralysis and then starting a form of
plenumeiosis that convert compatible biomatter to a state that they and their host can derive nutrients from. The plenumeiosic process won't convert the epidermis, nails/claws/horns/teeth, and hair/fur of most species.
Their symbiotes are known to even indiscriminately attack and infect other mersanida species, including specimens of their own genus. Ranomaru species, with the Zeroleik as the exception, will typically avoid other mersanida unless there's no other option for food source. It's believed this unique trait of the metabile plenumeiron was an evolutionary consequence to facilitate their reproduction cycle.
Genetics
Life Cycle
Reproduction
Ranomaru species feature male and female sexes, with the only discernable dimorphism being the larger size of the male. They only reproduce once, close to the end of their life cycle. Specimens ready to mate will excrete a pheromone that draws the attention of the opposite sex and mates are accepted on a first-come-first-serve basis. There's been no observed cases where the species make use of rituals to determine the fitness of a mate.
When a pair has located each other, the female climbs up on the back of the male and bites into the softer tissue below the first dorsal plate. By regurgitating some of her gut contents, she'll fuse herself to the male and parasitize him for up to a week while producing eggs. In the meantime the male's sole concern is feeding as much as it can, as fast as it can. Once full of eggs, she'll use her ovipositor to stab the male through the abdomen and deposit them directly into his large gonadal sack.
Once the male has recovered, his next goal becomes to locate a prey - as large as he possibly can - that'll be bitten to infect it with the paralyzing symbiotes but otherwise left alive. The male drags it off to a safe location and then regurgitates enough of its gut contents to fuse itself and its female to it. The merged mass, semi-alive through most of it, serves as an incubator for the eggs and as a food source for the larva once they've hatched. Both the eggs and larva are protected from the metabile plenumeirons by a thin sheath of keratin.
This is such a thorough and detailed article. Amazing work that made my skin crawl from time to time. Also, I don't know if I have said this before, but your world's design is phenomenal!!
Thank you, makes me happy to hear you like the design. <3 And glad to hear you enjoyed the article! Art and more detail on the morphology/anatomy is planned for after SC. :)