Cloud-Cuckoo – Planet of Sky Creatures
The planet of Cloud-cuckoo has an ecology that some scientists expected to find at one time or other. Ideas of creatures living by floating among the clouds on a distant planet had been a common theme in science fiction and even the tentative hypotheses of astronomers. We were all wrong to suspect to find them on gas giant planets, because they were eventually discovered in the cloudy atmosphere of a planet which actually had a rocky crust not unlike that of Earth.
Cloud-cuckoo orbits a bright sun at a comfortable distance, but its gravity is a good deal lower than Earth. The climate is very hot compared to Earth’s, and indeed the atmosphere is full of clouds and water vapour, all water here exists evaporated in the atmosphere. Ground here is mostly bare and rocky, covered in encrusting algal slime and microbial mats in places. It is this primitive flora that supports the ground-dwelling animals of the planet.
Most scientists will agree that the skies are where the action is on Cloud-cuckoo. The atmosphere is full of mist and cloud, which supports drifting swarms of aerial plankton and unicellular algae suspended in water droplets. There are kinds of drifting zooplankton that resemble tiny crab larvae and shrimps. These aero-plankton organisms form the basis of the ecosystem for the larger airborne creatures.
There are 2 main kinds of dominant animal here, both of which have representatives in the air and on the ground. One group are poorly-sighted mollusc-like creatures, the most primitive of which cling to the rocky ground with a double muscular “foot” somewhat like a slug. Some of these slug-like creatures have taken to the air, buoyed by bladders of lighter-than-air gas and propelled by fin-like appendages. The other kind of animal are radially symmetrical, the ancestral form of which had 8 tentacular feet, 8 mouths and 8 breathing orifices, all arranged around a central armoured body. From this came crawling terrestrial forms that graze algae from the ground, as well as floating jellyfish-like creatures that filter plankton from the air, or even produce their own sustenance via photosynthesis. All animals here are composed of chemicals roughly analogous to those found in Earth’s invertebrates, blood is copper based and hemolymph-like, hard parts and shells are similar to chitin. Bodily tissues of the flying creatures are spongy, interspersed with gas pockets to help maintain lift. Many flying or floating animals have large sac-like bladders filled with lighter-than-air gas, which is most often a product of digestion.
Explorers of this unusual world thought that this whole ecology had a look of some person’s far-off daydream. Suitably they named it “Cloud-cuckoo” after the dream-like city in the clouds of classical drama.
The planet of Cloud-cuckoo has an ecology that some scientists expected to find at one time or other. Ideas of creatures living by floating among the clouds on a distant planet had been a common theme in science fiction and even the tentative hypotheses of astronomers. We were all wrong to suspect to find them on gas giant planets, because they were eventually discovered in the cloudy atmosphere of a planet which actually had a rocky crust not unlike that of Earth.
Cloud-cuckoo orbits a bright sun at a comfortable distance, but its gravity is a good deal lower than Earth. The climate is very hot compared to Earth’s, and indeed the atmosphere is full of clouds and water vapour, all water here exists evaporated in the atmosphere. Ground here is mostly bare and rocky, covered in encrusting algal slime and microbial mats in places. It is this primitive flora that supports the ground-dwelling animals of the planet.
Most scientists will agree that the skies are where the action is on Cloud-cuckoo. The atmosphere is full of mist and cloud, which supports drifting swarms of aerial plankton and unicellular algae suspended in water droplets. There are kinds of drifting zooplankton that resemble tiny crab larvae and shrimps. These aero-plankton organisms form the basis of the ecosystem for the larger airborne creatures.
There are 2 main kinds of dominant animal here, both of which have representatives in the air and on the ground. One group are poorly-sighted mollusc-like creatures, the most primitive of which cling to the rocky ground with a double muscular “foot” somewhat like a slug. Some of these slug-like creatures have taken to the air, buoyed by bladders of lighter-than-air gas and propelled by fin-like appendages. The other kind of animal are radially symmetrical, the ancestral form of which had 8 tentacular feet, 8 mouths and 8 breathing orifices, all arranged around a central armoured body. From this came crawling terrestrial forms that graze algae from the ground, as well as floating jellyfish-like creatures that filter plankton from the air, or even produce their own sustenance via photosynthesis. All animals here are composed of chemicals roughly analogous to those found in Earth’s invertebrates, blood is copper based and hemolymph-like, hard parts and shells are similar to chitin. Bodily tissues of the flying creatures are spongy, interspersed with gas pockets to help maintain lift. Many flying or floating animals have large sac-like bladders filled with lighter-than-air gas, which is most often a product of digestion.
Explorers of this unusual world thought that this whole ecology had a look of some person’s far-off daydream. Suitably they named it “Cloud-cuckoo” after the dream-like city in the clouds of classical drama.
Faunal Examples -
Scaly Rock-slug (Geolimax gulo)
A crawling slug-like animal, the scaly rock-slug is an unpretentious omnivore which reaches up to 80 centimetres long. It feeds mainly by grazing the algal mats and encrusting slime which grows on the rocky ground, but is also ferocious enough to kill and consume other ground-dwelling creatures. Though vaguely similar to an Earth slug, it actually has 2 muscular crawling surfaces on its underside, one for and one aft.
A crawling slug-like animal, the scaly rock-slug is an unpretentious omnivore which reaches up to 80 centimetres long. It feeds mainly by grazing the algal mats and encrusting slime which grows on the rocky ground, but is also ferocious enough to kill and consume other ground-dwelling creatures. Though vaguely similar to an Earth slug, it actually has 2 muscular crawling surfaces on its underside, one for and one aft.
Zeppelin Slug (Limacopterus aviator)
Zeppelin slugs are part of the mollusc-like group of animals, and this one can fly. Commonly reaching 4 meters long, it is a carnivore which roams the skies in search of other large aerial animals to feed on. Tending to float lower in the air than its prey, it keeps an eye out for the shadows cast by them, also scenting the air with its olfactory tentacles. They have large sacs on their backs filled with lighter-than-air gas to keep them aloft, and an array of beating and rippling fins serves to propel it forward (or even backward). Most of their prey are passive drifters, so it seldom needs to move fast.
Zeppelin slugs are part of the mollusc-like group of animals, and this one can fly. Commonly reaching 4 meters long, it is a carnivore which roams the skies in search of other large aerial animals to feed on. Tending to float lower in the air than its prey, it keeps an eye out for the shadows cast by them, also scenting the air with its olfactory tentacles. They have large sacs on their backs filled with lighter-than-air gas to keep them aloft, and an array of beating and rippling fins serves to propel it forward (or even backward). Most of their prey are passive drifters, so it seldom needs to move fast.
Flying Nipper (Limacornis parasiticus)
One of the few fast-flying aerial creatures here, the Flying nipper is part of the mollusc-like group. It has a large steering fin and broad beating “wings” about 50 centimetres in span, there is only a relatively small store of buoyant gas on its back. They feed by quickly flying up to larger aerial creatures, and biting off small mouthfuls of flesh. In this way, it is not a hunter or a killer, but more of a parasite.
One of the few fast-flying aerial creatures here, the Flying nipper is part of the mollusc-like group. It has a large steering fin and broad beating “wings” about 50 centimetres in span, there is only a relatively small store of buoyant gas on its back. They feed by quickly flying up to larger aerial creatures, and biting off small mouthfuls of flesh. In this way, it is not a hunter or a killer, but more of a parasite.
Darker Octomouth (Terrestriaster octognathus)
Octomouths are radially symmetrical, crawling herbivores commonly found scraping algal mats and films off the ground with their 8 cooperative mouths. This species reaches 1 meter in diameter, and moves relatively slowly on its 8 stubby tentacular feet.
Octomouths are radially symmetrical, crawling herbivores commonly found scraping algal mats and films off the ground with their 8 cooperative mouths. This species reaches 1 meter in diameter, and moves relatively slowly on its 8 stubby tentacular feet.
Feather-balloon (Plumobrachium multiproboscis)
A large radially symmetrical floater, feather balloons reach up to 5 meters across (not counting the spread of the feeding arms). Their long, feathery arms are sticky, and sweep the air constantly, snagging the aerial plankton on which they feed. It has multiple feeding tubes which routinely glean captured plankton from the feeding arms and consume it. Buoyancy in the air is maintained by an array of large gas-bladders on the upper side.
A large radially symmetrical floater, feather balloons reach up to 5 meters across (not counting the spread of the feeding arms). Their long, feathery arms are sticky, and sweep the air constantly, snagging the aerial plankton on which they feed. It has multiple feeding tubes which routinely glean captured plankton from the feeding arms and consume it. Buoyancy in the air is maintained by an array of large gas-bladders on the upper side.
Tree-balloon (Viridobrachium giganteus)
These radially symmetrical floaters are the largest creatures found in the skies of Cloud-cuckoo. They regularly reach 9 meters across the body surface, and with arms outstretched their full span can exceed 20 meters. Remaining aloft with large bladders full of buoyant gas, they tend to cluster in areas where there is fairly abundant sunlight. Tree-balloons do not need to feed like other animals; their many broad feathery arms are bright green, photosynthetic like the leaves of a tree. This allows them to turn sunlight directly into chemical energy, simply by basking in the sun.
These radially symmetrical floaters are the largest creatures found in the skies of Cloud-cuckoo. They regularly reach 9 meters across the body surface, and with arms outstretched their full span can exceed 20 meters. Remaining aloft with large bladders full of buoyant gas, they tend to cluster in areas where there is fairly abundant sunlight. Tree-balloons do not need to feed like other animals; their many broad feathery arms are bright green, photosynthetic like the leaves of a tree. This allows them to turn sunlight directly into chemical energy, simply by basking in the sun.