Vastekomortia

Vastekomortia is a fictional genus of freshwater microalgae used in worldbuilding and speculative biology to illustrate microbial mats and early photosynthesis. The name evokes thick-walled, colonial cells and is not assigned to any real organism.

Description: Vastekomortia species are small colonial algae consisting of thick-walled, ovoid cells arranged in mats on submerged substrates. Individual cells range from 20 to 60 micrometers and possess a mucilaginous sheath and a basic plastid system with chlorophylls a and b. Reproduction is described as both asexual via resting spores and sexual via oogamous gametes, depending on environmental conditions in the fictional framework.

Ecology and habitat: In fictional ecology, vastekomortia inhabits calm freshwater environments such as ponds and slow streams, forming dense biofilms on decaying plant matter. It functions as a primary producer and provides habitat for protozoa and small invertebrates; thick cell walls contribute to resilience against desiccation and certain grazers.

Taxonomy: In the imagined taxonomic framework, vastekomortia is the type genus of the family Vastekomortaceae, order Vastekomorales, class Chlorochloria within the hypothetical phylum Plantomycota. Notable species include Vastekomortia marina, Vastekomortia limnetica, and Vastekomortia obscura.

Discovery and naming: The genus appears in speculative texts from the late 21st century onward, attributed to virtual biologists exploring microbial mats as teaching examples. The name combines imagined roots for “thick” cells and persistent mats.

Usage and reception: Vastekomortia is primarily used in educational fiction and worldbuilding resources to discuss taxonomy, ecology, and the methods of describing new taxa without invoking real organisms.