Neulakoepala

Neulakoepala is a fictional genus of marine invertebrates created for speculative biology and worldbuilding. In its canonical descriptions, Neulakoepala species are small, sessile encrusters that attach to rocky substrates and live in shallow coastal waters. The genus is often used to illustrate convergent evolution and the emergence of protective head-like structures in diverse lineages.

The name derives from neo- (new) and Greek kephale (head), chosen to reflect a prominent cranial shield in its morphology.

Organisms are described as having a domed, calcified carapace covering most of the body, a soft ventral foot, and a ring of ciliated feeding lobes around an oral aperture. They lack a large centralized brain in most depictions, possessing a diffuse nerve net or simple nerve ring, depending on the portrayal.

They inhabit temperate to tropical seas, often on reef-like structures, on sedimentary bottoms, and sometimes in splash zones. They are filter-feeders, drawing microplankton through mucus nets or ciliary action. Some depictions show symbiotic organisms living on their carapaces.

In the fictional taxonomy, Neulakoepala sits in its own family Neulakidae within a hypothetical order Cephalomorpha, representing a basal lineage of shell-bearing, sessile invertebrates that diverged early from other clades.

As a construct, Neulakoepala is used to discuss evolutionary trade-offs between mobility, protection, and feeding efficiency, and appears in educational materials, fiction, and worldbuilding guides.