| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Anchored |
| Category | Tunics |
| Scan Tool | Bioscanner |
| Biome | Observatory Island |
Lotus Tunic is a Lifeform found around the Observatory Island.
Appearance
Section stub
Databank Entry
Source: Scan a Lotus Tunic
Stolotunic proteoproteale. Colonial tunicate that cleaves to the seafloor on branching stolons laden with fleshy, purple appendages.
1. Discoidal colony
Each disc is a colony of individual zooids. Branchial apertures open and close like pores as each tunicate extends a siphon to feed on falling marine snow. The zooids are anatomically complex, equipped with the same organs as larger tunics like the lucifer rotsac.
2. Toxic defenses
The colony aggressively hoards metal ions, especially manganese, which gives it a rich royal purple hue. Cutting a lotus tunic releases a vile-tasting plume of sulfuric acid and heavy metals. The richer the purple, the greater the seawater’s metallic load.
3. Trypophobia
The tunicate colony is visually similar to the back of a brooding Suriname toad. This pattern of tightly packed holes can trigger adverse psychological reactions in vulnerable divers.
Assessment: divers should exercise caution in caves where lotus tunics are encountered. Psychological distress or phobic response attacks can cause divers to panic and collide with cave walls or the tunic itself, adding an explosion of noxious chemicals to the calamity.
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