D. Flagellum #34

A deeply adapted hybrid, D. Flagellum has characteristics similar to those of photosynthetic eukaryotic organisms on Earth. Classified as both flora and fauna, D. Flagellum might be best understood as an airborne plankta that is both photosynthetic and heterotrophic as it does consume other airborne organisms. It is notable for its unique adaptation which allows it to store compounds in a vacuole that can be accessed for growth when nutrients are unavailable in the environment. Between 20–200 micrometers in length, the organism is approximately the same size as the width of a human hair. Its morphology is characterized by its armored plates and its tendril-like flagella. The organism’s chloroplast-containing horns are extensible, which allows it to increase its surface area for photosynthetic production using the light of the suns. D. Flagellum may reproduce sexually or asexually. Occasional blooms of the organism can account for planetary haze over the southern deserts where its population is most concentrated.