Fokusoida

Fokusoida is a fictional taxon used in speculative marine biology and world-building to describe a group of small, luminescent plankton-like organisms that inhabit shallow coastal waters. The name, drawn from a root associated with focus and the common taxonomic suffix -oida, signals their supposed sensitivity to focal points of light and motion.

Description: Individuals range from about 0.5 to 3 centimeters in length. They have translucent bodies and ring-shaped bioluminescent organs around the margin. In calm water they drift in mid-water and can form loose, shimmering aggregations. Bioluminescence is produced in pulsatile patterns believed to facilitate intraspecies signaling and to deter predators.

Ecology and behavior: Fokusoida are filter feeders that consume microplankton. Their life cycle includes asexual reproduction in a planktonic stage and periodic sexual reproduction during favorable environmental cues such as lunar phase and water temperature. Populations respond to light pollution and nutrient levels, often dispersing under bright conditions and clustering in dimmer refugia.

Habitat and distribution: In fictional settings, fokusoida are described as endemic to temperate shallow seas around the Archipelago Expanse, favoring kelp forests, eelgrass meadows, and tide pools where currents create stable mid-water layers.

Significance: In narratives and world-building guides, fokusoida are used as indicators of water quality and as a literary motif tied to perception and attention, appearing in ecological plots and as visual effects in underwater scenes.