Linktens

Linktens are a common name for a genus of simple colonial organisms that make a home for themselves in the neritic zones of the world's oceans. In their slime mode stage, they are characterized by their distinct prolate spheroid shape and their blue-green coloration. They float freely in the open water found near shore, though generally in the aphotic depths. They feed primarily by producing a thick mucus, this trails behind them in a fanning, winged pattern, passively collecting organic debris. When any potential sustenance is caught on a strand in the slime, specialized organelles just below the cell membranes "reel in" the strand, bringing it closer to the cell membrane. Anything trapped in the mucus is slowly digested on contact with the cell membrane, or digested quickly if caught on a link extension. These mucus wings are constantly replenishing and discarded as they become congested, and areas high in population of these organisms can become thick with organic substances, providing a rich source of nutrients for local ecosystems. Contrary to appearances, they are not true multicellular organisms, and instead are a plasmodial-like slime mold. They are not very cohesive in their ability to stick together, with rough waters regularly breaking them apart. This works rather well, as it usually results in the creation of new linkten colonies. The majority of their diversity is found in the southern polar waters, the habitat of their extinct ancestor, but a few have found purchase in the warmer equatorial and northern polar waters.