Ocean Phantom

This is a huge sea creature that visits the algal reef, approximately 33 feet (10 meters) long and 13 feet (4 meters) wide. Each phantom is actually a colony of thousands of individual creatures combined into one giant organism.

Behavior
The ocean phantom acts like a giant float. On top of the float there are sails filled with carbon-monoxide. These sails help the ocean phantom to move across the sea.

Although the ocean phantom looks like one animal it is actually made up of thousands of smaller creatures living together in a colony. Each individual has a particular role to play. The individuals may be part of the float, keeping it upright or part of the sail, helping it to move. They may even be part of a tentacle dangling below to grab food.

Normally the ocean phantoms' sails lie flat as it drifts across the shallows but when it goes in search of food, special chambers inside the sails fill up with gas to make the sails upright. By filling different chambers with water the phantom can change the shape of its sails, allowing it to turn this way and that to catch the wind.

Feeding
Algae covering the phantoms body provide it with a rich source of chemicals. Carbohydrates generated by the algae through photosynthesis are carried throughout the colony by a vascular system.

For protein the ocean phantom must hunt for animals in the waters beneath. It uses suction bells to hunt. The unfortunate victim is drawn into the bell and trapped, to be digested at leisure. Prey items include the young of reef-gliders and perhaps fish.

Breeding
Sometimes, huge storms batter the Shallow Seas, whipping up heavy waves that can break an ocean phantom up into small pieces.

Each piece can survive alone, slowly breeding new colony members until it forms a brand new giant ocean going hunter.