Veresoontes

Veresoontes is a fictional taxon used in speculative biology and worldbuilding to describe a clade of multicellular organisms with hybrid plant- and animal-like traits. The term has appeared in various fan-created compendia and in some science-fiction narratives, where it is treated as an independent lineage rather than a real group.

In the most common fictional depictions, veresoontes possess a flattened thallus-like body up to several centimeters wide, with a mosaic of tissue layers that include photosynthetic cells and heterotrophic cells. Many species are described as bioluminescent or iridescent. Reproduction is described as via spores or propagules, with life cycles featuring a sessile adult phase and a mobile juvenile phase that disperses to colonize new habitats.

Ecology and habitat: They are said to inhabit damp, dim environments—such as forest understories, mangrove-like wetlands, or shallow aquatic settings—in ecosystems where they can form symbiotic relationships with bacteria or algae that provide nutrients. They are depicted as contributing to nutrient cycling in their fictional ecosystems.

Taxonomy and interpretation: Because veresoontes are fictional, there is no formal zoological or botanical status. In-world texts vary in how they relate veresoontes to real-world lineages; some authors place them near the base of a hypothetical empire of eukaryotes, others align them with algae-like or fungal-like groups. The name is typically treated as a proper taxon within the fictional universe, with etymology chosen by the author.

Etymology and references: The name veresoontes is a constructed term, with no real-world etymology beyond the fiction's internal lore. Citations appear in the relevant fiction and fanworks rather than peer-reviewed literature.