Segmaris-detail2

Another Segmaris detail, depicting the early part of the life cycle. The cavities in the reddish-brown symbiont are the product of countless generations of interactions between these two species. Over millions of years, the host evolved to accommodate the reproductive needs of its symbiont- providing a shelter for its offspring, complete with a stable environment and nutrients excreted within the cavity. Of course their is a return on this investment: the adult Segmaris repays its debt to its host by returning nutrients to it (in the form of feces), and helping to facilitate its reproductive cycle.