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:iconspeculativeevolution: #SpeculativeEvolution
 :icontrilobiting: #Trilobiting
Trilobite me!

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February 5, 2011
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:iconnocturnalsea:
Here’s just a sampling of the creatures that live on the rough callosities of my hypothetical Ceticarid Cetimimus heliophilus [link]
The majority of the callosity is made up of parasitic “sea lice”—actually highly modified trilobites.
The most abundant species is the appropriately named Common Trilobite Louse (Platypterygia vulgaris). These commensals feed on dead skin, algae and bacteria clinging to the Cetimimus’ carapace. Their large, barbed limbs are used to anchor them in the creature’s skin. It is believed that they periodically leave their host, since they possess large paddle-like hindlimbs for free swimming.
While P. vulgaris doesn’t directly parasitize its host, the Mosquito Louse (Nychocaudatus rostralis) actually feeds on the ceticarids’ blood using a stylet formed from its first two limbs. Like the common trilobite-louse, N. rostralis uses its large, barbed front limbs to anchor itself in the host. Additional attachment hooks are located on the pygidium.
The callosity micro-environment also has its share of predators. The Blood Pirate Louse (Haemoraptor megadorsa), for example, feeds exclusively on ceticarid blood obtained from Mosquito Lice. Since it lacks N. rostralis’ sharp stylet, it is unable to penetrate the ceticarid’s tissue directly. It does, however, have thick spines on the bases of its legs for shredding the immobile Mosquito Lice to steal their blood meal.
The top predator of the callosity jungle, however, is the Lion Worm (Vermileo acanthoglossus), a species of nemertean worm. Vermileo possess a long, barbed “tongue” that it uses like the radula of a mollusk to rasp the hard shell off of its prey.
A rather unique member of the callosity microenvironment is the Cycliophoran Eosymbion onychophorus, which uses the cilia lining its mouth to filter-feed on dead skin, plankton and trilobite-louse droppings. In our modern world only one described species of cycliophoran is known (Symbion pandora), a microscopic creature found on the mouthparts of Atlantic lobsters. There are undoubtedly more species of Symbion out there—we just haven’t looked in the right places yet. Being a big fan of weird, obscure animals, I wanted to give cycliophorans a little more exposure.
Eosymbion is similar to its modern relative except that it possesses three long spines on its vase-shaped body—possibly for defense.
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:iconcskxxicssxin:
~Cskxxicssxin Apr 7, 2012  Hobbyist Traditional Artist
The lion worm looks a lot like the Acanthocephala.
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:iconnocturnalsea:
~NocturnalSea Apr 8, 2012  Professional Traditional Artist
Yep, that was precisely what I was going for.
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:iconcskxxicssxin:
~Cskxxicssxin Apr 8, 2012  Hobbyist Traditional Artist
So it would be a case of nemertean acanthocephalan convergent evolution?
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:iconnocturnalsea:
~NocturnalSea Apr 9, 2012  Professional Traditional Artist
precisely.
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:iconchrestovenator:
~Chrestovenator Mar 25, 2012
This is wicked, hypothetical parasites are the best parasites of all. Always happy to see fictional Cycliophorans as well (my mind was rocked when I first read about Symbion's discovery).
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:iconnocturnalsea:
~NocturnalSea Mar 26, 2012  Professional Traditional Artist
I too love the more obscure microscopic animals-- especially cycliophorans. They don't get nearly enough attention. I'm also rather fond of loriciferans.
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:iconthomastapir:
*thomastapir Mar 17, 2011
Really, really cool...P. vulgaris and N. rostralis look like they could be moving towards trilobian stomatopods! (Stomatobites??)
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:iconnocturnalsea:
~NocturnalSea Mar 17, 2011  Professional Traditional Artist
Trilobite stomatopods...hmmm, I may have to use that in another piece. Thanks for the suggestion.
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:iconthomastapir:
*thomastapir Mar 18, 2011
No problem, I look forward to seeing what you come up with!
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:iconcybershot:
~cybershot Mar 7, 2011
Nice creatures and concepts!
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