The fungus planets are probably one of the most extravagant and unique types of habitable planets in terms of biospheres, both for how these works and how live. Because of the far distance in relation to its star, this kind of worlds should be practically cold and frozen, but the atmospheric composition with an enormous amount of methane warms enough the planet, giving a fairly ideal temperature for the development of complex life.

The name "fungal flora" is given both by the different colors and shapes that the dominant autotroph organism of this planet take, very different from what we would consider an organism as a plant. Unlike a true fungus, these organisms are able to use photosynthesis, using dioxide atmospheric carbon, but together with ammonia gas to produce nitrogen and methane. Some of these are able to develop huge stems to raise their nicknamed "mushrooms", evolving into tree like forms, others have taken some strange forms being molded to get the best possible sunlight, adopting forms of fans, thick branches, and even some evolved into huge dome-shaped structures. There is a second set of these autotrophic beings, which live at the expense of the first one, some as parasitic forms, and others as necrophagic beings that quickly decompose the material remains of the deaths.

On the other hand, heterotrophic organisms, the indigenous "fauna" of this world, have had to take some drastic adaptations to survive in the strange conditions. The main feature is that they are methanotrophic, requiring methane to live as long as life on Earth requires oxygen. This lifestyle is infficient in comparison of oxygen, so most of the "animal" organisms on the planet are quite slow, being comparable to certain deep ocean ecosystems private of light.

There are two categories: mobile and sessile. The predominant mobile organisms are similar to arthropods creatures, which have a thick armor composed in part for a little cap of metal that allow them to withstand the ultraviolet radiation which is stronger by the lack of an ozone layer. Depending on the niche they have, they are able to take an interesting variety of forms, among which are thin and long like a stick insect predatory forms, with huge structures that allows them to impale their prey and absorb the fluids. The small "herbivores" specialized in consume the soft parts of the fungal flora, and the stranger detritivores beings similar to the earth echinoderms, always plowing the soil for nutrients. A very unique form among these one is a lineage of mite-like beings which found a rather innovative method of locomotion that has allowed them to be transported much faster than any other species of its kind, they go ballooning, creating a parachute based on a web. The sessile forms are in many large and versatile predators, some take a shape similar to the autotrophic beings around, which help to deceive potential prey so they can catch them...



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Inspired by the Fungal planet created by Parasky.





Note: I must say that this is an interpretation, so some important aspects of what may represent the organisms that I have described will be different from what the author may have thought