Aircomber
Common Name[]
Aircomber
Scientific Name[]
Pectenflare jemisonii
Description[]
The exterior of this photobiont has a similar color and texture to the surrounding soil. Attempts to sample it were unsuccessful, meaning it's not a soft tissue. It's probably a constructed casing - like Earth's caddis flies. The top of this photobiont is transparent. and the inside is lined with tissue that I think is photosynthetic - the color's a lovely lavender. I think that instead of having gas exchange and photosynthesis on the surface, this organism concentrates oxygen and carbon dioxide and funnels those gases to this internal photosynthetic tissue. This leads to an explanation of the purpose of the 'feathers' - perhaps they work to capture and refine the gases necessary for metabolism. --Jane Van Susteren, Exobiology Lead