leeliselises
Leeliselises are a fictional clade of small pelagic marine invertebrates described in speculative biology and used in worldbuilding. They are characterized by a gelatinous body and a crown of bioluminescent photophores. In the literature, they are depicted as widespread in temperate and subtropical open oceans.
The term derives from the researcher A. Leeli, who first described the group in a 2007 monograph.
Morphology: They measure about 2–5 cm in length. The body comprises a central gelatinous axis with flattened
Ecology: Leeliselises are suspension feeders that filter microplankton from water. They display diel vertical migration, ascending
Life cycle: Reproduction is sexual with external fertilization; some species can reproduce by parthenogenesis under low-density
Distribution and habitat: Reported in temperate to subtropical regions of the fictional Azura Ocean, at depths
Taxonomy: Phylum Leeliselia; Class Leeliselidea; Order Leeliselida; Family Leeliselidae; Genus Leeliselis; species include Leeliselis luminis and
In culture and research: Leeliselises are used in speculative biology to illustrate bioluminescence and soft-bodied marine