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 hairy food-catching cells, skin cells, and reproductive cells located at the top of the organism. Additionally, 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 notable damage in rough waters. Therefore, they create a structure made of a combination of either silicon or calcium carbonate and organic proteins within their hollow interior. The structure possesses many holes and cavities. This causes its strength to be reduced but makes it cheaper to build and maintain, as well as allowing the Havsfjäder to store nutrients within their 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. The larvae 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 ot 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. By timing the release of gametes together with other individuals, and the seasons 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. 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 feeding arms of Havsfjäder are lined with food-catching cells. These cells are, in turn, covered with several long and rigid hair structures that catch particles from the nearby currents. They will then be retracted into the cell, pulling food particles with them whilst non-edibles are barred from entering the cell's membrane. Once inside the organism, the particles will be broken down into base components (carbohydrates, proteins, and fats) by lysosome-like organelles. The released nutrients will then disperse throughout the Havsfjäder. Notably, the hollow interior of the organism also functions as a passive circulation system since particles are pushed into the cavity and taken up elsewhere.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Sakätare

Scientific Name

Havsfjäder