Dark Swarmer

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Dark Swarmer
(Refulgimancerxia igneus)
Main image of Dark Swarmer
Species is extinct.
19/126, Replaced by Descendant
Information
CreatorFlisch Other
Week/Generation8/52
HabitatLadyM Deep Sea Floor, Jujubee Deep Sea Floor, Rhodix Vents, LadyM Open Ocean, Jujubee Open Ocean
Size2 cm Long
Primary MobilityUnknown
SupportUnknown
DietPlankton, Organic Matter, Photosynthesis
RespirationUnknown
ThermoregulationEctotherm
ReproductionSexual, Spawning, Two Sexes
Taxonomy
Domain
Kingdom
Phylum
Class
Order
Family
Genus
Species
Eukaryota
Mancerxa
Phylloichthyia
Cycloptifabae
Refulgicaudata
Refulgimancerxidae
Refulgimancerxia
Refulgimancerxia igneus
Ancestor:Descendants:

The dark swarmer has adapted to the deep sea. It doesn't feed via photosynthesis anymore, but it swallows all organic matter, which sinks from the ocean surface to the ground. At each end of its tentacles is a glowing organ. The dark swarmer spreads the end of the tentacles as much as it can, in order to look bigger and therefore to scare off predators. At night, the dark swarmers swim to the surface of the water, where there is more organic matter to swallow. Their photosynthesis has adapted to the light the tentacles emit, so that the dark swarmer can reuse some of the energy.



Notes

About the Diet/ by Flisch:

The Dark Swarmer feeds on organic matter. The deepsea is actually littered with organic particles from the upper layers of the sea. When something dies it will sink to the bottom, in the process little microbes already feed on it and organic matter will fall down on the seafloor like snow. (It does even look like snow). The Dark Swarmer feeds on this.

To save energy it additionally uses a different type of photosynthesis as well to recycle some of the energy it burns to produce the light. This photosynthesis can't use sunlight however, as the light from its tentacle tips is different than sunlight. That's why they don't come to the surface during the day.

However, they emerge from the deep during the night, because in the upper layers is alive plankton, which is needed to gain specific nutrients, since the microbes, that degrade the dead matter actually feed on those nutrients too, so that they are not available in the deep. That's why Dark Swarmers are filterfeeders.

During the day they eat dead organic matter and during the night they feed on plankton. Also, note, that plankton isn't just microbes. Plankton also consists of algae and larvae from other animals, which should be plentiful.

Living Relatives (click to show/hide)

These are randomly selected, and organized from lowest to highest shared taxon. (This may correspond to similarity more than actual relation)
  • Rearing Swarmer (order Refulgicaudata)
  • Flabnose (class Cycloptifabae)