Goldback Litusfoi

With the success of the carpet litusfoi, the original litusfoi was driven to extinction. However, before this happened, it yielded one more species. This species originated from a population that consumed the hextherma that coated the sea floor. However, some hextherma were not digested, and instead began metabolizing the few sulfur compounds that made it into its host, providing its host with extra energy. As a result, the litusfoi host began to passively absorb more sulfur compounds, driving it into Vailnoff Ridge.

The goldback litusfoi is named after its yellow dorsal side, which is where its hextherma symbiotes congregate. The hextherma also congregate near the ventral digestive surface. In order to avoid competition with the carpet litusfoi, the goldback litusfoi primarily lives near the banded iron formations that radiate outwards from the ridge, feeding on its iron-rich rock. This gives the rest of its body a rusty coloration. In order to better locate sulfur, the goldback litusfoi has developed three chemoreceptors at the front of the body. Because the goldback litusfoi is not tolerant of extreme temperatures, they typically live in between the vents in vailnoff ridge, and avoid areas with active vulcanism. Because of a lack of hextherma in the ridge biome, the goldback litusfoi will use honeycomb crust cells as their endosymbiote.