Stratummi

Stratummi is a fictional genus of microorganisms commonly used in speculative biology and science fiction to illustrate stratified microbial ecosystems that inhabit layered environments such as sediment interfaces, geothermal pools, and hypersaline lakes. The name blends the Latin stratum, meaning layer, with a stylistic suffix often used for imagined organisms.

Description of Stratummi depicts a range of forms from small cocci to filamentous cells, organized into discrete ecological niches along vertical gradients. Upper-layer species are often portrayed as photosynthetic or phototrophic, forming biofilms at the interface between light and chemistry-rich zones. Mid-layer taxa may perform chemolithoautotrophy, deriving energy from reduced minerals, while deeper-dwelling strains are described as anaerobic and capable of processes such as sulfate reduction or degradation of complex organics. In narratives, Stratummi communities frequently exhibit tight metabolic coupling and mineral precipitation that contribute to laminated sediment structures.

Habitat and ecology in fiction place Stratummi in stratified settings where environmental gradients create distinct zones of activity. These organisms are used to explore nutrient cycling, ecological succession, and the impact of changing redox conditions on layered ecosystems. Although presented as plausible, Stratummi does not correspond to any real taxonomic group.

Taxonomy in the imagined universe often assigns Stratummi to a hypothetical phylum such as Stratobacteria or Stratimicrobios, with multiple species illustrating diversity of adaptation to stratified habitats. Because Stratummi is a fictional construct, there are no real-world references, and its details vary across works of speculative fiction and thought experiments.