Floater's Weed

Basic Information

Anatomy

An underwater plant which physically resembles a tumbleweed, being brown in color and round in shape as it drifts through underwater currents. It is tough and chewy and not a favored food by any other creatures.

Genetics and Reproduction

An adult Floater's Weed will produce small seeds from the area which was formerly attached to its root system, which will then fall to the bottom of the ocean floor and bury themselves in the sand. These seeds closely resemble a pebble, and could easily be mistaken for one, as they are quite small and dense, allowing them to easily sink onto the ocean floor.

Growth Rate & Stages

After a week or so, the seed will sprout and grow into its adolescent stage, which closely resembles a kelp plant. Once it becomes so large, usually taking between a month and six weeks, the Weed will detach itself from its root system in the ocean floor and begin floating freely in the ocean currents. As it does this, the leaves of the plant will tangle in with one another, forming its well-known tumbleweed-esque shape.

Ecology and Habitats

A hearty species, Floater's Weed can and does survive in nearly every underwater biome so far discovered. As it is not a favored food by any creature, it is free to float from place to place without fear of being consumed. However, more often than not it will reproduce in colder waters where there are less plants with which to compete for space. Floater's Weed is one of the only plants which can survive the harsh climate of the Southern Rhyme. In this environment it forms a symbiotic relationship with the Piasca fish, a small and harmless fish species native to the area. Small schools of one to five Piasca fish will enter inside of the Floater's Weed and use it as a type of shield from predators. The fish will never leave the cold waters, which is the environment in which Floater's Weed prefers to drop its seed, and so the plant will always have the opportunity to reproduce.

Conservation Status

Abundant

Average Height

3ft

Average Length

3ft