Evo Thread:

Evo Thread, there was one last night, I don't know if it was the first, I wasn't the OP but I liked it.

Rules:
>Modify previous organisms, starting with the three that will be subsequently posted
>Modify to make a creature better at a niche, fill an unfilled niche or in response to other modifications, don't devolve legs as a carnivore when there's no herbivores or plants on land.
>Compete with other evolutions of the starting creatures.

The starting creatures will be in the next three posts

>This belongs on /qst/
the OP of the last thread got told to move it here

the mell is a jaw-less and sightless organism which catches drifting plet in it's mouth.

Plet is a photosynthesizing organism that floats in open water.

The Upid is a segmented creature which preys on mell, it navigates with its antennae

Plet develops small flagella on its southern half. These grasp at static objects, helping to anchor them and preventing drift.

>>/qst/

Clearly you didn't read the OP
I'm not even the OP you dunce.

mell evolve photosensitive spots to see where the light is bright, leading them to more plet

The Upid develops longer, feathered tentacles in order to navigate hazardous terrain. They'll occasionally stick them out into open water in order to feel for Mell swimming by.

A new species of Upid emerges, known as Upid A1. This species possesses hooked mouthparts that allow them to attach to Mell. The holes made by it's teeth in the skin of Mell leak blood, which the Upid A1 feeds on.

Upid develop small bulbs on the ends of their antenna. These give off a light, which may lure or confuse Mell.

in order to better avoid the three new species of Upid the mell develops actual eyes.

Plet develop a harder, foul-tasting membrane which covers entirely, save for the bottom half which is attached to the jutting rocky sections of ocean it inhabits. This might make it more difficult for the toothless Mell to prey upon it.

A new species of plet evolves the flagella into root like structures, preventing drift completely, making the mell unable to eat it.

The long-antenna'd Upik become non ambulatory, hiding in mud and rocks, their antenna blending with the algae and the flagella of ambulatory Plet, wriggling out and snapping whenever they feel the toothless gnawing of Mell.

The mell, in order to gain better purchase on plet develops a rudimentary jaw.

Upid A1 evolves into Upid A2, gaining a coloration that allows it to blend in with the rocks at the seafloor. It also gains slightly differently shaped mouthparts.

The parasitic Upid A1 develops a membrane on its back, increasing its speed greatly. (I suppose it'd be B1 now).

The mell develops some teeth for self defense and some for chewing plet

That's actually underbite, not overbite.

I stand corrected

Out-competed by another species of Plet on the rocky ocean floor, Plet (variety 0) evolves small nodules filled with air. These cause it to rise higher from the ocean floor, though not yet all the way to the surface. Being closer to the sun, they breed prodigiously.

This might provide a greater food source to Mell who stray closer to the surface, and the Upid who follow them.

Their tough, bad tasting membrane now covers them entirely.

The Overbite Mell's side teeth develop points of articulation, allowing it to defend itself more effectively. To keep up with the naming convention of my critters, it is now Mell A5.

In response to their tentacles merely being chewed off, the mud-dwelling Upik have started growing their tentacles extremely quickly. The extremity tentacles are covered in thorny nubs which will tear up the insides of any Mell that tries to bite down on them, at least distracting it before the Upik comes up to bite.

Or, the Mell will die and become food for the bottom-dwelling Upik.

I'll adopt your naming conventions, makes a little more sense I guess.

Upid (B2) develop hair-like growths on their antenna. These help them sense changes in the water of their surrounding environment, allowing them to lock in on prey more easily.

Plet B3 develops small nodules of toxin inside it's body, which kill any lifeform that consumes them. However, manufacturing the toxin demands resources.

Upid (C2) develop a small, milky central "eye" which detects the frequency of light they emit. By bouncing this light off objects, they're able to navigate more easily.

Upid A3, to protect itself from 's teeth, develops a stronger carapace.

Plet (A4) engorges their air-sac nodules, causing them to rise to just a few dozen feet below the surface of the ocean. To maximize surface area, their out membrane grows yet more rigid, making them uniform in shape.

Plet covers swatches of ocean like a blanket, those areas below these slowly drifting covered areas receive significantly less sunlight.

Mell B1 develops a larger mouth to eat more Plet. It is a filter feeder-type organism.

An additional pair of membranes allow for a dramatic increase in maneuverability. Sensitive hairs growing along the Upid (B3) carapace make it even better at locating prey to latch on to.