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In the vast, oxygen-rich seas of the Hyperpelagene, a partnership has emerged between two distant descendants of the veloverms. Tersuvormis, (Cleaning Vorms) are small, agile vorms descended from the maculovorms which have adapted to a life spent following their much larger relatives, the ostiverms. While the ostiverms glide through the ocean, filtering massive amounts of plankton and organic matter with their enormous, gaping mouths, they inevitably accumulate debris on their bodies-stray particles, microbial growths, and even small hitchhiking organisms. This is where the tersuvorms come in.
These nimble, eel-like vorms swim alongside their towering hosts, using their specialized mouths and hardened teeth to pluck away detritus and unwanted growths. They scrape and nibble at the ostiverm’s broad body, particularly along the ridges of its mouth, keeping it clear of obstructions. Though their relationship is not entirely mutualistic-tersuvorms are opportunistic and will readily steal scraps from an ostiverm’s feeding flow-the presence of these cleaners still benefit their hosts by reducing drag and preventing blockages in their vast, filter-like mouths.
The presence of sugoplods adds another layer of complexity to the evolving ecosystems of the Hyperpelagene seas. Parvisugs (Traveling Suckers) are a lineage of sugoplods which have evolved to attach themselves to large hosts with their sucking legs. While some species are merely commensal, using larger hosts as mobile platforms to access new feeding grounds or breeding sites, others have taken a more insidious route. Densisugis (Fanged Suckers), for example, have developed long, needle-like arms that pierce the skin of their hosts, siphoning blood and bodily fluids for sustenance. These parasites latch onto the thick bodies of ostiverms and other larger oceanic creatures, exploiting their slow-moving hosts with minimal resistance.
Not only does this parasitism create discomfort in the ostiverms, but it also poses a serious threat to their health. The feeding wounds left by densisugs and other parasitic parviators can become entry points for infections, as opportunistic bacteria and poremorphs take advantage of the broken skin. Over time, heavily infested individuals may suffer from chronic blood loss, weakening their immune systems and making them more susceptible to disease. Some species of parasitic parviators even act as vectors for microbial pathogens, spreading illnesses from one host to another as they detach and reattach during different stages of their life cycle. Others excrete enzymes from their needles that prevent wounds from healing, allowing them to feed continuously from the same site.
However, parasitism comes with its own risks. Tersuvorms do not discriminate between the detritus they pick away and the parasitic hitchhikers clinging to their hosts. In fact, the tersuvorms have evolved a preference for the taste of sugoplod meat. A tersuvorm will eagerly pluck a densisug or a parviator from an ostiverm’s flanks, stripping it from its feeding site and crushing it between its teeth. In this way, the relationship between ostiverms and tersuvorms extends beyond simply cleaning-these smaller vorms act as a line of defense against bloodsucking invaders. Because of the benefits of a tersuvorm spa day, ostiverms will often slow down or pause when they encounter a school of these cleaners, allowing the vorms to feed while ridding themselves of parasites-a mutually beneficial exchange that keeps the ostiverms healthier and the tersuvorms well-fed.
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