Predatory Armsrace: Diversity of Pliaceps

As cyanopluma begun shifting towards predation pliaceps had completely new pressures put on them and many were unable to adapt, thanks to random variation advantageous changes were selected for, The most successful response to predation was the adaptation of shells, hardened skin that became mineralized to better protect against attacks, this is an adaptation that would happen independently many times though the most successful branch were the anthoceps, they gained the ability to retract their tentacles to protect against threats from there they also adapted special light sensitive cells toward the base of their tentacles which allowed them to perceive threats. This made anthoceps the most fit branch of pliaceps of the early Cetiocene.

Anthoceps

With the ability to retract their tentacles also being used to return captured food to their mouth anthoceps became able to specialize their tube feet to become feather like chaete, this made them much more efficient filter feeders, allowing them to grow much faster than any Pliaceps before them. These new filter feeders would be by far the most common Pliaceps clade throughout the oceans of the Cetiocene.

Acanthaceps

Due to the success of anthoceps variation was inevitable and while the initial reaction to predation was growing defensive, acanthaceps began to take a different approach. While Pliaceps filter the water for small plankton-type food none are picky eaters and so long as they are large enough will eat what ever lands in their mouth, acanthaceps took this to the extreme. They would become predatory enlarging their converting their feathery chaete into spines and thickening their arms to the point were they no longer could be fully retracted, often times feeding on the cyanopluma that originally fed on them. Their eyespots developed into more complex compound eyes, allowing them to seek out their newfound prey, squims. Squims were quickly exploited by acanthaceps; however, being so numerous squims suffered few losses as a result of this. While the squim adapted to their new predators acanthaceps adapted back, many turned to camouflage mimicking the yellow hue found to the Aetherian flora allowing them to strike when least expected.

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Life in the Twilight, The Squigglepus>>