Glow Basket
by Kipsa
Basic Information
Anatomy
Panericorans, known colligually as Glow Baskets are known for several common features common to all fossil specimen. Colutura exhibit these basic traits:
1. 8 jaw tentacles are set radially in the oral cavity, with a radula covering the medial side.
2. 16 motive tentacles
3. An internal pharyngeal basket supported by 8 rods of hardened jelly.
4. The pharyngeal basket is lined with Hatscheck glands that produce mucus which is spread by internal cilia to capture food particles.
5. Each side has over 100 tiny slits to sieve water out while keeping food trapped. Like the Rose Meteor the depressions formed by the rods are lined with sharp keratin and food is ground down by the pumping action of the basket as it expands and shrinks.
6. An atrium containing the gonads which lead to 8 radially spaced atriopores which release the filtered water and the ova/sperm. These are at the medial posterior end of the organism, superior to the movement tentacles.
7. A simple closed circulatory system in the form of a peristaltic pump which surrounds the pharyngeal basket and the entire animal in a loop. It is filled with a clear oxygen conducting fluid that lacks specialized proteins or cells.
8. A temporary anal pore area at the distal, medial posterior end of the organism.
Compared to ancestral taxa, two of the former anchor tentacles have become longer with sheathes that allow them to be withdrawn when not needed. These tentacles are fringed with tentilla (small tentacles) on the ventral side. To differentiate them, they will be called “hypertentacles”, as they have hypertrophied over the course of evolution. The distal tips contain four tentilla on the lateral sides. Colutura use these specialized limbs as fishing lines, lures that secrete a sticky mucus forming a net.
The other 30 have returned to being feeding tentacles; they are smaller, forming a short “mane” surrounding the oral cavity. These tentacles when at rest are enclosed forming a forward facing cone in front of the organism. Creating a torpedo-like shape at the superior end. Each tentacle also has sheathes like the larger hypertentacles and extends when feeding. They are important to the Colutura when hunting as each tentacle is covered in mucus secreting organelles and barbs that are used to entrap surrounding plankton. Colutura are referred to colloquially as the Glow Baskets due to bioluminescent glands that form strips of light on their thorax and tentacles. These bioluminescent strips which are used to both find mates and attract prey. The bioluminescent strips along their epidermis are caused by photoproteins tied to special cells called photocytes. These photocytes produce a blue light. This is done via the light emitting molecule Coelenterazine.
1. 8 jaw tentacles are set radially in the oral cavity, with a radula covering the medial side.
2. 16 motive tentacles
3. An internal pharyngeal basket supported by 8 rods of hardened jelly.
4. The pharyngeal basket is lined with Hatscheck glands that produce mucus which is spread by internal cilia to capture food particles.
5. Each side has over 100 tiny slits to sieve water out while keeping food trapped. Like the Rose Meteor the depressions formed by the rods are lined with sharp keratin and food is ground down by the pumping action of the basket as it expands and shrinks.
6. An atrium containing the gonads which lead to 8 radially spaced atriopores which release the filtered water and the ova/sperm. These are at the medial posterior end of the organism, superior to the movement tentacles.
7. A simple closed circulatory system in the form of a peristaltic pump which surrounds the pharyngeal basket and the entire animal in a loop. It is filled with a clear oxygen conducting fluid that lacks specialized proteins or cells.
8. A temporary anal pore area at the distal, medial posterior end of the organism.
Compared to ancestral taxa, two of the former anchor tentacles have become longer with sheathes that allow them to be withdrawn when not needed. These tentacles are fringed with tentilla (small tentacles) on the ventral side. To differentiate them, they will be called “hypertentacles”, as they have hypertrophied over the course of evolution. The distal tips contain four tentilla on the lateral sides. Colutura use these specialized limbs as fishing lines, lures that secrete a sticky mucus forming a net.
The other 30 have returned to being feeding tentacles; they are smaller, forming a short “mane” surrounding the oral cavity. These tentacles when at rest are enclosed forming a forward facing cone in front of the organism. Creating a torpedo-like shape at the superior end. Each tentacle also has sheathes like the larger hypertentacles and extends when feeding. They are important to the Colutura when hunting as each tentacle is covered in mucus secreting organelles and barbs that are used to entrap surrounding plankton. Colutura are referred to colloquially as the Glow Baskets due to bioluminescent glands that form strips of light on their thorax and tentacles. These bioluminescent strips which are used to both find mates and attract prey. The bioluminescent strips along their epidermis are caused by photoproteins tied to special cells called photocytes. These photocytes produce a blue light. This is done via the light emitting molecule Coelenterazine.
Genetics and Reproduction
Colutura species are hermaphrodites and are capable of parthenogenesis by self-fertilizing their ova. Ova and sperm are released through the atriopores. Fertilization can occur internally or externally. If internal, the Colutura will swallow sperm which will swim through the pharyngeal basket through the slits and fertilize the ova.
Due to this species living in deeper water with scarce resources, their eggs contain oil which causes them to float to the surface where there is more food.
Colutura will continue to reproduce daily at a constant rate so long as sufficient food is available. They produce over 8,000 eggs a day. Eggs will hatch into paralarva, they resemble basal stephenozoans but do not exhibit any form of true metamorphosis. Rather as they mature they slowly change to resemble the adults. They mature within 2-4 local days based on food intake. But are able to reproduce by the 2nd day.
Growth Rate & Stages
Colutura eggs once fertilized take about 1-2 local days to hatch based on water temperature to hatch
Once hatched the larvae resemble incredibly small stephanozoans around 0.5mm in length. Over the course of 2-4 local days the Colutura will put on weight by feeding on smaller zooplankton, initiating a phase of rapid growth in size - likely to avoid predation by larger macroplankton. This is so extreme that by the 2nd day the organism has reached 1 cm in length. It takes approximately 10 days for an individual to reach adult size, at which point they will become sexually mature and are capable of reproduction.
Amongst subspecies and specific populations of colutra, the incubito subspecies holds their eggs in a pouch in the atrium, using chemoreceptors to determine when the eggs are about to hatch and then releasing them into the open waters. This is an interesting adaptation that has helped this population survive in more competitive ecosystems, such as rad-reefs, compared to other members of its species. Another small population, called the fulgens popluation, has eggs that rise to the upper water column before hatching to further stimulate rapid growth - likely possible due to their closer proximity to Niylan. Their yong begin to sink down into the depths reaching the bathypelagic with 8 - 10 additional days.
Ecology and Habitats
Species can commonly be found in similar areas, however they live at different depths to not compete against each other.
Dietary Needs and Habits
Colutura are macroplankton one of the largest in size of zooplankton organisms. They mainly feed on smaller zooplankton of the macroplankton and mesoplankton size range. Colutura do this via suction feeding, similar to filter feeding, though used on organisms around the size of micro and nanoplankton. Colutura’s feeding radula allows them to feed on plankton that are larger, but still smaller than them. They themselves are also prey for larger megaplankton and nektonic organisms. During periods of plenty, colutura blooms are known to occur, and larger organisms than usual are known to feed on them due to their abundance and ease to filter out of the water column.
Colutura feeds mainly by suction, filtering water out while capturing prey with their feeding tentacles via mucus secretions. They feed on organisms of 2-17mm in size and can consume up to 500 per hour. To lure in food, Colutura uses two hypertrophied tentacles, dubbed hypertentacles as fishing lines. Each tentacle is covered in tentilla that secrete mucus like their feeding tentacles. This mucus is made into a net which is then cleaned of food via suction feeding. Allowing the net to be reused several times before becoming unusable.
As prey gets sucked towards its oral cavity they are captured by their feeding tentacles, thanks to the mucus secreting glands on their distal tips and forced into the oral cavity. There it is killed by the serrated radula on the jaw tentacles and makes its way into the pharyngeal basket where it is ground upIf food is plentiful, they can eat 10 times their own weight per day.
When hunting larger prey this feeding method is modified. The net will entangle the zooplankton, making it unable to escape as with smaller plankton. However once captured by the feeding tentacles, it is killed through strangulation. As it is usually too big to fit inside the oral cavity. Colutura will then take chunks of their prey via their jaw tentacles. Leisurely feeding on their prey for some time. This is rare though and the Colutura will often prefer to feed on smaller nano and microplankton when available.
Additional Information
Geographic Origin and Distribution
Generally deep, usually open waters with high amounts of sulfur - examples include rad-reefs, mid-ocean ridges, and the continental cliffs of Niylan.
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Glow baskets have mechanoreceptors and chemoreceptors on their feeding tentacles. The chemoreceptors are found on the distal tips of the feeding tentacles extending into the interior lateral sides. Colutura uses these chemoreceptors for both smell and taste, determining if something is edible or not. This is important, as these organisms are sensitive to toxic materials that might be accidentally digested.
Below and extending into the epidermis, the body of the bell is covered in light sensing proteins called opsins which help the organism detect light to a limited degree. These proteins are connected to hair like cilia below the epidermis attached to the neuron net and protrude in a layer of jelly called the statocyst. The statocyst is a balanced sensory receptor, as the organism moves tiny grains of calcium carbonate push against these hair cells which provides feedback to the animal on change in orientation and allows balance to be maintained.
Surrounding the oral cavity, the Colutura’s feeding tentacles are densely covered in light sensing opsins on the lateral exterior in comparison to the rest of the body. This allows them to detect a wider variance of shades of shadow to light. This helps to determine if a potential predator is approaching or prey is fleeing.
The hypertrophied limbs of the Colutura are also used as a form of vibration detection. As when retracted, the distal tips remain outside with their tentilla extended. Within each of these distal tentilla lies multiple funnel-shaped pieces of calcium carbonate connected to specialized ganglions. They are the largest neural organs found in any group of stephanozoa thus far, making vibration detection extremely important to this species.
Created By
Chared
Chared
Scientific Name
Colutura Fulgens
Origin/Ancestry
Stephanozoa
Lifespan
200 to 640 days
Average Length
3.4 cm bell; 2.8 cm motive tentacle lengths
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