Cryotable

Cryotable has developed its body to make the best use of the fleeting polar light. Its stud has become a stem with which it can reach higher into the water to gather more light. The photosynthetic portion has become a flat disc which can angle towards the sunlight to always have as much direct light as possible. This is very advantageous during polar summers when the sun doesn't ever set and instead arcs around the sky each day. The photosynthetic disc, henceforth referred to as a "plate", is grown fresh each spring, with the stem persisting throughout winter. To survive on land in the riparian area of rivers, the stem and plate have a waxy cuticle to prevent drying out. The stem is composed of silicon spicules which give it its rigid structure. This also provides insulation and slows freezing of the stem during winter so it can survive being covered by ice in the winter. Reproduction is accomplished through spores which are released from the underside of the plate which will swim until finding another spore to fuse with and then germinate into a new Cryotable. They are most successful in high-silica environments and have a range consisting of predominantly rivers. Their spores are able to cross between water bodies during rainstorms. It is not uncommon to find Cryoplates in ponds and lakes nearby established rivers, but they only flourish in high-silicon environments.