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Pedigree Slugstar

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Limaster pedigree, the pedigree of slugs. A family of limbs, each one similar to a primitive sea slug.
1. Initial bud
The pedigree grows from a single free-swimming larvae, which anchors itself and forms a bud (called a brachiolaria). The bud feeds on plankton and meiofauna. Each bud has its own circular nerve braid.
2. Generations of limbs
Each ring of limbs is a new generation of slugs. The outermost slugs (the first generation) are identical clones of the initial bud, technically termed ramets. These slugs reproduce sexually, growing eggs and releasing sperm into the seawater. Fertilized eggs give birth to a new generation of slugs, which remain connected to the pedigree.
3. Family tree
Cycles of fertilization and growth continue until the pedigree either reaches the limits of local food or begins infighting. Infighting occurs when certain branches of the pedigree try to claim extra resources for their offspring. At this point the youngest slugs eject larvae, becoming the buds of new pedigrees.
4. Evolutionary analysis
Unlike in Earth starfish, whose limbs are actually outgrowths of their heads, Protean starfish may have evolved from groups of cooperating clone slugs.
Assessment: adapts rapidly to changing conditions, but soft and vulnerable to predation.

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