Living film

The first living biomass in Simceladus. Film captures transported chemistry on exposed rock and makes every animal food chain possible.

At a glance

Lives onExposed rockOnly rock faces touching open water can host it.

RequiresTwo reactantsVent reductant and ocean reactant must overlap.

FeedsSleelsSleels are the direct grazers in the current food web.

Limited byBurial and grazingSediment suppresses growth. Sleel mouths remove biomass.

How it grows

Film withdraws a matched chemical pair from nearby water. Either ingredient missing stops production. A share becomes living biomass; the rest is recorded as dissipated energy.

How it spreads

Growth moves across connected, attachable rock. Film cannot cross open water or appear through sealed terrain. The shape of the shore decides how much feeding surface exists.

What clears a patch

Sleels remove reachable biomass while feeding. Sediment burial reduces capacity. Natural turnover releases material back into the world. A quiet patch can recover if chemistry still reaches it.

How to observe it

Film appears as a restrained living layer on rock. The Film overlay is the precise view of its coverage. Changing its display colour or visibility does not alter the ecosystem.