Creature:Zolacian

Information
Under Construction

Statistics
Species Type: Cold-blooded Marine Invertebrate Lifestyle: Social Planktonivore Hunt/Forage Success Rate: 100% Filtering (99% success rate in water, mixed success rates in other environments, depending on the amounts of floating microorganisms exist) Armor: Natural Zolacian armor consists of a toughened outer skin. They have constructed far more durable metallic armors thanks to their technological prowess. Defenses: While they do possess a tough outer skin to help discourage predators, they are built for crawling quickly along the sea floor, with bodies thin enough to properly slip into the numerous cracks in the continental slope they call their home. In more modern times, they utilize body armors and pressure shields. Weapons: Under Construction Tools: Under Construction Method of Eating: Zolacians feed by way of numerous large, paddled cirri that guide plankton-laden water down to their mouth, where several smaller, more tentacle-like arms covered in bristly cilia then scoop the plankton contained therein into their mouths. Water swallowed is filtered out through their gills, allowing them to breathe. Even more cilia lines the rest of their digestive system to aid in moving food through their system. Plankton are guided down the esophagus into the stomach. Specialized organ called the paragaster excretes enzymes into the stomach to properly break down chitinous material. Once material is broken down, it passes into the intestine, where it is further broken down and absorbed into the body. Waste is excreted through four vents on the opposite end of the digestive system. These four vents allow the low levels of waste to be released in quicker periods to prevent it from having to remain exposed for longer periods. Naturally, most material is also successfully digested, leading to nearly clear 'mist' to be released, although feeding in non-local areas may result in different digestion ends. Reproductive Rate: Zolacians breed during the warm "summer" seasons of Zolacia, during which time the colonies will release huge clouds of gametes into the water. Male gametes will then hopefully encounter female gametes, and fuse into a zygote, which then forms an egg. These eggs are free-floating, and are predated upon by many species. Gestation: There is no gestation period in Zolacians, although they will spend an hour to produce enough gametes to fill the ocean locally. An unwritten signal issues through the entire colony, and all members will release their gametes at once in vast plumes of rolling white. Offspring Incubation: Offspring spend approximately 10 Earth days as eggs before hatching as microscopic, free-swimming larvae. Number of Offspring: Each colony may produce up to 10 million gametes per cloud, leading to the possibility of 10 million offspring for every two clouds (assuming one colony's gametes are all male while the other are all female). Offspring Survival Rate (before age of maturity): 0.000002-0.000005% -- Zolacians understand their position as a major means of survival for their ecosystem, and therefore choose to let their young fend for themselves. As few as 20 to 50 will survive each litter, with the rest becoming prey. Each year when mature individuals reach the Zolacian cities, a celebration is held, both to commemorate their polyp-larvae who survived as well as to give respect to those who had to die for their world to continue to survive. Singular/Plural/Possessive: Zolacian/Zolacians/Zolacian

Historical Background
Below is information entailing the history of the Zolacian, from simple marine organisms to spacefaring beings.

Evolutionary History
Evolving into a niche similar to Earth's grasses, the ancestors of the Zolacian were heavily preyed upon and even relied upon, and because of this their species continued to try to evolve to survive better, as many species would, however each evolution they succeeded in obtaining would soon become obsolete as their predators gained ways to deal with them. It was a rough existence for their kind, but eventually evolution smiled upon them, giving them more complex brains which over time lead to sapience. This was used to help them determine if a creature was trying to eat them, at which point they would use its power to figure out how to hide.

Zolacian Rule
Under Construction

Crux Invasion & Initial Xenophobia
Under Construction

The Zolacian Subjugation
Under Construction

Escape From Hydoth
Under Construction

The Founding of New Zolacia
Under Construction

Open War & New Alliances
Under Construction

Allies
Under Construction

Enemies
Under Construction
 * Hydrothi
 * Mohm

Notable Zolacians

 * Zuni: One of the main Zolacians who led the initial uprising against the Hydrothi. With his help, a large number (but not even most) of their kind escaped the planet Hydroth, where they were able to eventually settle on the new homeworld of New Zolacia. Zuni is now one of the leading generals against the Hydrothi and the Crux.

Trivia

 * Like several of my other races listed here on SporeWikia, the Zolacians are a race I created in 5th Grade. Like the Hydrothi, the Zolacians were spawned off of a single character -- Sunny, more recently renamed to Zuni.
 * Unnamed for many many years, the Zolacians finally received their species name on Monday, November 19th, 2007 at around 4:14am Alaska Standard Time.