Episode 2: Birth of New Biomes Under the Sea

As the ocean becomes populated with many organisms, creating many communities throughout the ocean. Some unique communities emerge, yet several share common characteristics among them in response to climate in that area. This episode is about marine biomes and habitats as the land is not colonized yet.

Earth's Kelp Forest Equivalent
The "kelp forest" on this planet consists of large numbers of polyphyllophytes of various species, both small and large, within the area. These forests can be found throughout temperate and tropical seas along the coastline of Solus and some at the tropical sea of Lunas. Very few forests appear near the coastline of both north and south Lunas, seemingly because of the abnormal atmospheric components within the areas. These forests are home to many species, including the helicaspids and some species of micrognathans, which sometimes attracts a carcharognathan to the area.

Each forest consists of many species of polyphyllophytes unique to that area, however, all forests share the same characteristic of having both the gigantic and short polyphyllophytes in the same forest.

The gigantic species are the original lineage with the smaller species branch off from them, creating a clade with unique bodies. Polyphyllophytes within this clade have a relatively short stem compared to other clades, however, the three leaves on each ring fused into a large, disk-like leaf around the stem. The stem also widens in diameter, and sometimes a cluster of rocks surrounds the base of the stem. While the new leaves on the upper layer are smaller than the one under them, they become larger over time. At some point, the lowest layer leaf is shed. Their reproductive organs now appear on the leaf, with each leaf containing only one type of organ.

This organism with disk-like leaves will be named Cyclophyllophyta ("Circle Leaf Plant").

At the same time, the gigantic species grow so huge that their stem is barely able to hold them straight up. They evolve several air sacs at the base of each leaf to help in making them stay upright. They can grow to a length of over forty meters. Their massive size grants them the advantages of having massive photosynthetic surfaces, meaning the sugar production is increased, and an ability to live deeper than any other within polyphyllophyte lineage. Sometimes, however, in a location with strong water currents, their roots are unable to hold themselves to the ground and eventually detached, causing them to be carried by the water currents. However, this unintentionally helps in distributing their gene as they are carried around and sometimes came near other forests. However, once detached, they can not resettle on the seafloor for the second time.

This massive species of polyphyllophytes form a clade known as Macrophyllophyta ("Large Leafed Plant").

There are also predator species native to the forest. Unlike the carcharognathans who occasionally visit the forest, these predators live in the forest, slithering around the dense canopy of polyphyllophytes, waiting for a moment to ambush their targets. These creatures derive from the same line as the carcharognathan, however, they develop into a very unique body shape. Due to the density of the forest, their large size makes swimming in the forest problematic. In response, instead of using only their tail, they swim using their pectoral and front pelvic fins as the main propulsion instead, as well as using them to navigate through the thick forest, as if they are walking in the water. Their tail fin changes in shape. Instead of a crescent shape, the tail fin extends deep into the base of the tail, the tail also lengthens to increase water displacement as their swimming style becomes a hybrid of anguilliform and labriform. Another problem within the forest is that their relatively short snout makes them take longer to reach the prey, giving them a chance to escape. As a countermeasure, they develop a body part never seen in any other clade, a neck. Their neck makes up around one-fifth of their body length, granting them an ability to reach further prey without moving as much, as well as an ability to look behind themselves, which is also not present in any other species. Their gills also change significantly, as they are somewhat already internalized. The gills then develop a chamber on each side, becoming primitive lung-like organs, which are contracted and expanded by pectoral muscles during the pectoral fin movement. The gill openings are now located near the front limbs, over time, the openings move lower and lower, until they are located under the front limbs.

With these advantages, they become an apex predator within forests that are known as Ambulopterida ("Walking Fin")

Earth's Seagrass Meadow Equivalent
In a similar situation, the "seagrass meadow" of this planet consists of a huge patch of gametophytes from one or more bulbochemophytes. The meadows can be found in the shallow water of the coast of southern Lunas and south-west Solus. Some smaller meadows also present in the northern hemisphere. The meadows can be found up to a depth of around thirty meters. Many small creatures, such as larvae of many species take refuge within the dense leaf of the meadow. Many species of helicaspids and micrognathans can also be found within the meadow. Occasionally, large predators such as carcharognathans come passing by the area in search of prey.

Branching from the same line as the micrognathans, these medium-sized creatures mainly feed on the soft leaves of the gametophytes. They develop a wide, short snout lined with blunt bony teeth used to grind the soft tissue. They are normally slow-moving, causing them to become prey easily. However, uniquely to this clade, their skin colors are akin to that of rock, and growing throughout the body are appendages of various sizes that flow in the water current, increasing the camouflage capability. When they sense a predator, they will lie down very still on the seafloor, patiently waiting until the predator is gone, in which they resume their activities.

From their rock-like skin color and many leaf-like appendages, these creatures are then called Lithodonta ("Stone Teeth").

In these meadows, however, some changes are happening among the plants. The gamete cells when fertilized, instead of float up to the water surface, sink to the seabed. The zygote then develops into a fully functional sporophyte embedded in the seafloor among the gametophytes. These new species are about three times larger than the bulbochemophytes and unlike their ancestors, their sporophytes are fully capable of photosynthesis alongside chemosynthesis. Their bulbous roots hold them in place on the seafloor. Their leaves are on long branching stalks that extend to the water surface, used for increasing photosynthesis and chemosynthesis activities. Their gametophytes are also larger with less sexual dimorphism appearance.

These plants earn their name Cladochemophyta ("Branching Chemical Plant") due to their branching stalks.

Earth's Coral Reef Equivalent
And at the same time, the "coral reef" of this planet consists of many species of the clade Phyllostoma. The reefs can be found along the eastern coastline and some parts of the tropical western coastline of Solus. These reefs are house to numerous phyllostomes and their descendant, forming reefs that extend from one horizon to another. And like polyphyllophyte forest and bulbochemophyte meadows, the reefs are home to many small creatures, both as food sources, and shelter. Due to the rocky formation of phyllostomes in the area, large creatures have a hard time navigating through the ridge and crack between the reef, the reef becomes a perfect place for the young to develop. Many species of helicaspids and micrognathans are native to the reef. Some species of small ambulopterids can also be found, slithering between the tight space in search of preys.

In this area, all sorts of phyllostomes, from the ancient phyllostome species to a recent onychochirid, can be found living together in a large community within the reef. Among them is a type of peculiar clade of phyllostomes with a unique lifestyle.

This clade of phyllostomes has a tiny body size when compared to other clades. However, what differentiates them from others is their behavior. These creatures form colonies among themselves with each colony is built by an individual. The colony grows larger when the pioneer individual reproduces asexually through either budding or division, which then move away from each other and creating their own shells. Over time, the shells from each individual merge together into a single base which grows bigger as the number of individuals within the colony increases. The average maximum size of the colony is around one meter. The shape of the colony also varies between each colony. Some colonies have a branching shape while some others have a disk-like form. Some colonies that grow upward, having several high tips or colonies that expand horizontally, covering a large area on the seafloor.

These creatures' rocky colony earn their name Lithozoa ("Stone Animal").