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Ramul — REP: Firefluke

#aliens #exobiology #xenobiology
Published: 2017-09-01 09:45:07 +0000 UTC; Views: 4382; Favourites: 81; Downloads: 19
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Description Fireflukes are tiny, flattened marine organisms with a very simple build, lacking a circulatory or respiratory system, and with the excretory and reproductive organs closely tied to their diverticled gut cavity. The gut diverticle house a species of bioluminescent microorganism, which is the firefluke's main line of defense. If stressed, the firefluke releases an enzyme into its gut cavity, which will make the microorganisms glow; as the fireflukes' predators are small and translucent themselves, the glow from a swallowed firefluke will make its predator highly conspicious and risk it becoming prey itself.
Fireflukes feed mainly on microbial mats, which they graze off surfaces with their two hard jaws, but also scavenge on dead organisms. Their eggs are fairly large and contain the symbiotic microorganisms as well. Since the embryo can't activate the glow, the eggs are hidden between the sand grains, where the young fireflukes also live, before they migrate onto the ground's surface.
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Comments: 3

23aroth [2017-09-01 23:00:37 +0000 UTC]

interesting defense mechanism. this leads me to wounder if the Fireflukes are the pioneers and first organism to use this way to defend them selfs or is there others

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Ramul In reply to 23aroth [2017-09-02 06:20:52 +0000 UTC]

There might be other Red Earth creatures doing it, but it's actually not that uncommon on Earth, as some ostracods and the famous glowing dinoflagellates do it. You can watch Life that Glows for refenence, which was the inspiration for this dump of bioluminescent organisms.

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PeteriDish [2017-09-01 17:07:25 +0000 UTC]

I really like the colors on this one!

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