Zoophota

Zoophota is a clade. Zoophota descended from segmentverma, starting life as motile larva before burrowing themselves into the seafloor and becoming sessile. Zoophota tend to live in clusters of upwards of 20, emitting a pheromone to warn nearby zoophotans of danger.

Zoophota eat by regurgitating their feather-like upper organs and catching particles in the branches. They also expel waste material at the same time. Zoophota have to leave their burrow in order to reproduce, leaving themselves vulnerable to predation. To combat this, many zoophotans have thick, shell-like exteriors or produce toxins to dissuade predators.