Snugglepod

Among the swaying sargrasso of the shallows around Yama a small, round creature scuttles along the seafloor. These creatures, only a centimeter in length, cling to a small, round structures that it holds over themselves as they crawl between hiding places, looking for small retinalphytes to eat. One of these creature is a juvenile of a genus of animals known as snugglepods. When this organism grows up, it will reach a length of 20 centimeters and bear upon its back a 30 cm tall shell composed of iron, sulfur, aluminum-oxides, copper, and numerous other minerals which it will use to protect itself. For now though, its small, soft body is protected only by the remnants of its eggshell, which it uses to hide from predators until it can grow large enough to grow its own shell. The snugglepods appeared fairly recently in Almaishah’s oceans as a group of minospina began to develop a complex form of symbiosis with chemochoids as a means of exploiting new food sources. As competition increased and the ecosystem became more competitive, these small minospinan descendants were forced to innovate new methods of defending themselves from predators. The solution was to convert the solid byproducts of chemochoids into mineral components of large, complex shells that could deter predators. The result was a group of strange organisms crawling along the seafloor, fueled by the consumption of retinalphytes and inorganic materials - the snugglepods. Pictured here is Sean's reconstruction of two snugglepods of different speceis. [Creature Design by Lethal Cuteness and Dr. Misa]

Basic Information

Anatomy

The snugglepod’s anatomy, while similar to minospina in numerous ways, is fairly derived. Like all paleotagmatans, their respiratory organs are located in the body tagma - however they have been pushed downwards towards the anterior side of the organism. The posterior anus has moved upwards onto the dorsal side. The dorsal side of the body tagma has also been raised significantly, giving juveniles the appearance of a hump. The digestive system now takes up the vast majority of space within the interior of the snugglepod’s body. The stomachs of the snugglepod consist of at least 7 chambers - two of which are not even related to digestion, but rather are dedicated to gas and mineral exchange, as well as the deposition of waste material. Within the other 5 chambers are large populations of chemochoids, as well as numerous digestive enzymes and acids produced both by them and the snugglepod itself. The initial chamber is responsible for the diffusion of water from the minerals & food - this water is regurgitated by the snugglepod. The chamber then leads into a larger central chamber, which is responsible for the dissolution of materials in a solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen-sulfide (compounds that may react with water under the correct circumstances). Stomach muscles will also work to grind the minerals together gently to aid in their dissolution into the solution. From here, these materials are filtered through a third chamber, where they are bound to organic enzymes dedicated to transportation through other chambers dedicated to the cultivation of chemochoids. The digestive acids are sent back into the second chamber, while the other materials are run through the other stomach chambers to be fed to large populations of chemochoids. Within the next three chambers, these compounds are digested and transferred between chemochoids to recycle proteins and produce new compounds such as well as glucose and other carbon-storage molecules. These molecules are collected by enzymes within these chambers, which diffuse them into the bloodstream in exchange for CO2, which is diffused into the solution for use by the chemochoids. Thus, some of the most common substances within these stomachs are haemocyanin and derived transportation molecules. These chambers also function as intestines that facilitate the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. After the chemochoids have digested these compounds, waste products are transported to the final chamber of the stomach - a primitive bladder. This bladder contains two valved openings and a simple filtration system, which allows different compounds to be moved to different areas of the body. The gonads, connected to a bladder-like organ, do not empty out onto the back - doing so would trap them within the shell. Rather, specialized tubes have developed from the gonads to the mouth, to allow the snugglepod to release its gametes through the mouth much like the ancestral paleotagmatan- although utilizing very different internal anatomy to do so. On the dorsal end of the creature exists an anus, where metallic and oxide substances that are solid and unable to be utilized internally - but otherwise nontoxic - are released. Rather than simply releasing these compounds into the ocean, however, the snugglepod utilizes some adhesive enzymes on its skin and others bound to these released compounds to cause them to stick to its back, forming a large, geode-like shell around its body. Through muscle contractions, targeted release of adhesive enzymes, and controlled release of compounds through the posterior anus, the snugglepod can form a roughly shaped shell specific to its species. The circulatory system, centralized in a loop-like structure running all through the body of minospina, has changed shape in several ways. By moving the respiratory structure to the lower portion of the animal, the snugglepod is able to create a looped set of arteries facilitating gas exchange that is able to directly connect with its limbs, enabling them to significantly strengthen - a requirement for carrying around heavy compounds on its back continuously. This circulatory system diffuses into the rest of the organism through numerous arteries and veins - the largest of which runs along the base of the stomach and leads to the brain in the head tagma. Within the head tagma exists a primitive brain connected to its four eyes, as well as two small antennas poking out of its head. These antennas are chemoreceptive, and are used to detect enzymes and the rough levels of specific compounds within the water. Its mandibles have shrunk significantly and become covered in a thick layer of keratin that sharpens at the end. These mandibles, while imposing, are not used for predation of any sort - rather, they are utilized as a means of biting into rocks and rough sediment without damaging living tissue. This process wears down the mandibles and sharpens them, thus preventing abnormal beak conditions that could inhibit the organism’s feeding. The mouth of the snugglepod is a long proboscis that is oriented directly below the head. This proboscis contains several hydrostat structures within it, and is extremely flexible. It is utilized as a means of “slurping” up ground minerals either in a powdered form or those that are dissolved in its mucosal vomit - which it utilizes as a means of breaking down large mineral deposits and converting them into an edible form.

Genetics and Reproduction

Snugglepods are diploid organisms that possess two distinct sexes - males and females. When the mating season arrives - which lines up with the early summer of the snugglepods range - the females will lay a clutch of eggs ranging between 50 and 100, and will cover the eggs in a mucosal mat to protect them. Males will discharge their gametes roughly once every three local days until the end of the local summer, and these gametes will fertilize nearby eggs. While this process is effective in resulting in fertilized eggs, it is not effective in ensuring the fertilization of all laid eggs - out of a clutch of 100 eggs, only 10-20 will be fertilized. This is, however, radically different if an egg cluster is found by a male - in which case he will discharge gametes immediately to ensure fertilization of any unfertilized eggs.

Growth Rate & Stages

The snugglepod eggs themselves are strange compared to their relatives. While most eggs currently on Amanishah utilize a thin, porous membrane, the snugglepod eggs only possess this on the upper half of the egg. The lower half makes use of calcium-carbonate, resulting in what is best described visually as a small bubble in a bowl. The embryos within the eggs have their sex determined by environmental conditions present within the water column - more specifically the presence of certain chemicals. In the event of high abundances of dissolved iron and oxygen gas, more females will be born. However, if these compounds are less abundant, males will be favored over females. When the eggs hatch in about 5 local days, the 1-2 cm juveniles significantly resemble their ancestor - minospina. After hatching, the juveniles will use their egg-shells (which stick to their backs through the use of adhesive enzymes) as a rudimentary shell to hide under during their early lives. The hatchlings’ first priority is a quick source of protein to help fuel their initial metabolism. In most cases, this early protein will take the form of the unfertilized eggs within the same mucosal mat; however, in cases where a male found the mat and fertilized all eggs, the baby snugglepods will attempt to gather proteins through consuming local plants around the site of their birth. If they are unable to do this for any reason, the snugglepod baby will almost certainly die; they will lack the early boost of amino acids and proteins needed to fuel their early metabolism. Should the snugglepod hatchling survive this early phase of its life, it will scuttle about the seafloor in search of small deposits of sediment and plant-fauna that it is capable of ingesting. These early food sources are critical for snugglepod development - early consumption of sediment allows chemochoids to colonize the snugglepod’s gut, while the consumption of plant material provides carbohydrates necessary for survival until chemochoid populations are high enough - and the snugglepod is developed enough to subsist mainly on symbiosis with them. Once the snugglepod reaches a size of about 5-7 centimeters, its eggshell begins to crack and break due to the snugglepod’s growth in size. By this point, the snugglepod has outgrown its shell, and as such begins to rely on the byproducts of chemochoids within its gut to form a mineral shell. This phase of life is when it is most vulnerable - it can oftentimes take up to a full local year to develop a full mineral shell to protect itself - and up to 70% of all snugglepod juveniles will die during this phase of life. After this phase, the snugglepod juvenile is often called a nymph or adolescent. During this phase, the snugglepod’s growth will gradually slow until it eventually reaches its adult size - its shell growth will increase exponentially as its intake of minerals increases with its age. Once the snugglepod nymph reaches approximately 18 cm in length, the snugglepod reaches adulthood and becomes capable of reproduction.

Ecology and Habitats

Chromatotesta concares lives in shallow water all over the planet, except around eastern Niylan C. tortilarrum & malleus live all around Niylan and western Kub Shay C. octa lives in the shallowest waters all around Yama, Kub Shay and all but the northernmost parts of Arctica. C. alyconium lives along the shorelines of Yama, all but the northern most Arctica and west, north west, and north Kub Shay. C. diabolus Lives in shallow water to the bottom of the photic zone around Yama and Arctica, with lower numbers around Kub Shay. C. herba Lives around south east Arctica, northern, eastern, and southern Kub Shay, and Niyalan. C. galeati Lives primarily around Yama, but can be found all around Arctica. C. retinalimitor Is found in shallow waters around all landmasses but Niylan, with concentrations in southern and northern Yama, around Arctica, and northern Kub Shay. C. radioimitor lives in deeper waters south and west of Kub shay and around Niylan and associated sea mounts. While C. radioimitor prefers to live around hydrothermal vents, it does not exclusively live in these areas. Rather, it can be found in sparser numbers in deeper waters in the southern hemisphere and around Niylan - where competition with other snugglepods is lower.

Dietary Needs and Habits

Snugglepods are most famous for their consumption of mineral deposits to fuel their metabolism. While they themselves cannot digest or process these compounds, symbiotic chemochoids within their digestive system are able to do so to a significant enough degree to sustain most of the snugglepods metabolic needs. The most common materials consumed by them are sulfur, iron, copper, and aluminum compounds - however other lesser known compounds are sometimes consumed as well either accidentally or deliberately.
However, what is not immediately apparent is that the snugglepods are not able to fully sustain every aspect of their metabolism in this way. To make up for this deficit, the snugglepods will also consume small amounts of retinalphyte material to supplement its diet. This combination results in a nutritious yet reliable diet, which is one of the primary reasons for the snugglepods success despite their recent appearance in Amanishah’s biosphere.

Additional Information

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

The snugglepod has two major ways of detecting information about its environment - its antennae and its eyes. The antennae are highly chemoreceptive, and are able to detect very small amounts of enzymes, acids, and pheromones dissolved within the water column - information that becomes vital during the mating season.
The other major sensory organ present in the snugglepods are their four eyes - two pairs on each side of the head. Within these pairs, one eye is well developed and capable of exceptional resolution, while the other eye has atrophied significantly and can now only tell the direction of light. These back eyes are mostly vestigial at the moment, however their front eyes allow them to detect a great deal of visual stimuli from their surroundings and assess details like incoming danger or the presence of a vein of usable minerals.

Symbiotic and Parasitic organisms

Snugglepods inherently rely on mutualistic symbiosis with chemochoids to allow themselves to consume, digest, and gain nutrients from minerals present on Almaishah’s seafloor. The snugglepods are able to gain nutrients, valuable compounds essential for organic chemistry, and solid minerals to utilize for protection. Chemochoids are able to gain access to a ready supply of CO2 in concentrations significantly higher than what could be found in the ecosystem at large. Thus, through this symbiosis, the snugglepods are able to carefully cultivate chemochoid populations to the benefit of both species - providing a vital edge in an increasingly competitive ecosystem.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

Minospina

Scientific Name

Chromatotesta sps.

Origin/Ancestry

Paleotagmata

Lifespan

40 local years

Average Height

30 cm

Average Length

20 cm

Body Tint, Colouring and Marking

The snugglepods most famous anatomical feature is their colorful shells consisting of mineral compounds utilizing iron, aluminum, sulfur, and copper materials. These shells are carefully constructed by snugglepods into specific shapes and color patterns, which are oftentimes specific to individual species. These shells are utilized as a means of species recognition and warding off predators - vivid coloration is oftentimes associated with unpalatability in nature, and snugglepods are no exception: chemochoids oftentimes produce compounds such as nitrogen-monoxide and hydrogen-sulfide, which are highly toxic to most organisms which are ill-equipped to process and remove these chemicals.