| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Anchored |
| Category | Anomalies |
Pendent Candles are a Lifeform found in Subnautica 2.
Databank Entry
Sakophos spelaion. A cave dwelling bioluminescent lifeform with an Ediacaran body plan.
1. Pendulous
A swollen, jelly-filled sac hangs from the cave roof by a flexible stalk, allowing the pendent candle to absorb nutrients through its skin.
2. Unknown lineage
The pendent candle's internal anatomy does not fit any known Protean lineage. Clean-sheet analysis detects similarities to Earth's earliest known complex multicellular life, the Ediacaran fauna. These early organisms went extinct 540 million years ago on Earth, leaving few or no descendants.
3. Ediacaran structure
The bulb's interior is a lattice of repeating fractal fronds that absorb nutrients and expel waste. This biology is profoundly simple: there are no differentiated tissues or specialized organs. Instead, the bulb uses tiny copies of itself as structural units. Inert sand also serves as a structural filler.
4. Bioluminescence
The light emitted by pendent candles is a by-product of its cellular respiration process. Reactive oxygen species (such as H2O2 and O2-) stimulate the light-generating molecules. This form of bioluminescence may have evolved to absorb dangerous byproducts of oxygen metabolism. Falling seawater oxygen levels will dim and eventually extinguish this light.
Assessment: a useful navigational aid for all divers. Damaging or destroying these bulbs puts future pioneers at risk.
