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April 12, 2011
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:iconnocturnalsea:
The algae growing on the shell of my hypothetical False Ammonite [link] is a miniature jungle in its own right. The canopy layer is formed from Sunset Moss (Thalassobryus serratus) a species of red algae. Beneath this is a thick understory of Skeleton Sea Pine (Eocorallina osarborus) a coralline pink algae protected by a shell of calcium.
The apex predator of the Thalassobryus forest is the Sea Elephant (Longiproboscis graboidus), a Devonian relative of Opabinia regalis whose lateral fins have been modified into hooks for holding onto algae fronds. The species name graboidus refers to the worm-creatures from the Tremors movie series (seems the chrononaut scientist who described the Sea Elephant was a bit of a monster movie fan).
In the Thalassobryus layer, caprellid amphipods—also called skeleton shrimp—cling to the edges of branches and capture plankton alongside tiny, stalked Puppet Brachiopods (Mycomarioneta hensoni). At night, when the diurnal Sea Elephants are inactive, thousands of nematode worms crawl up out of the Eocorallina layer to feed on the bacteria in the canopy.
Galilean Moon Snails (Lunacoclea iapetus) glide slowly over the leaves of Thalassobryus, rasping away at the fine layer of bacteria and diatoms that accumulates on them. Though the Moon Snail’s typical habitat is the Thalassobryus forest, it can, if dislodged, form a buoyant bubble-raft and skim along just under the surface of the water until it finds a new forest to settle. The researcher who described these snails likened them to the tiny moons orbiting Jupiter (played here by the False Ammonite), hence the common name “Galilean” and the species name “europa” referring to the Jovian moon.
Although isopods (sow bugs, pill bugs, rolly-pollies, etc) often resemble trilobites, they are only distantly related. Here, however, is an isopod, Trilobitamimus microphagus, that does an almost perfect impression of a trilobite. As its species name suggests, the Trilobite Mimic feeds on algae and plankton in the fronds of Thalassobryus.
Down in the Eocorallina lives its counterpart, Isopodamimus saprophagus, a trilobite that resembles an isopod. This creature is an opportunistic feeder, dining on detritus and nematode droppings caught between the Eocorallina fronds, and even on the nematodes themselves.
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:iconpaleopatrick:
~paleopatrick Feb 17, 2013
That sea elephant realy rembles an opabinia.
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:iconnocturnalsea:
~NocturnalSea Feb 18, 2013  Professional Traditional Artist
exactly-- it's actually descended from opabinids.
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:iconthomastapir:
*thomastapir Apr 13, 2011
Whoooa--at first I interpreted the Skeleton Sea Pine as a sea spider converging on a ghost pipefish! :omg:

Really cool stuff man, I love both the concepts and the designs!
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:iconnocturnalsea:
~NocturnalSea Apr 13, 2011  Professional Traditional Artist
Thanks. I had a lot of fun coming up with critters to inhabit the algae forest. Incidentally, I based the Skeleton Sea Pine off of Corollina officianalis, a calcerous red algae found up here in New England. It's one of my favorite algae next to kelp.
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:iconthomastapir:
*thomastapir Apr 15, 2011
Oh yeah, I can totally see it...Nice!
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