The Sea Emperor's Lifecycle

Available biological data has been used to synthesize the effects of the alien bacterium on the sea emperor's natural lifecycle.

This creature likely lived and moved in small herds around the planet's ocean trenches, coming to the surface to feed off the huge volumes of microorganisms in the shallower waters. Family size would be strictly limited by available food supply. Offspring would likely split off at a young age to form their own herds elsewhere.

Given their sparse population, mating and egg-laying was likely infrequent, perhaps a once in a lifetime event. The species likely had a preferred environment for egg-laying - in fact successful hatching may depend on such conditions. Given the rarity of this event, it is impossible to calculate those conditions precisely.

There is no evidence to support the assumption that all members of the species were immune from the alien bacterium. Even if this is so, there is evidence that introduction of the bacterium decimated life on the planet, and this would have had catastrophic effects on the emperors' food supply and survival rate.

The symbiotic relationship between this specimen and other lifeforms likely developed as a direct result of the bacterial infection. Those lifeforms which learned to keep the emperor alive survived with its help. This may explain the vast tracts of lifeless ocean in a rough perimeter around the emperor's location.