Pleurotaceae (Species)

Pleurotaceae are a bipedal species of fungus native to Recnor, a large earthlike planet in the solar system PR-13-CM. They are an oddity for a number of reasons – firstly the incredible rarity of true fungal bipeds in IPPEC territory, let alone of such a considerable size and range of motion. Secondly is that Pleurotaceae are totally mute, lacking anything resembling vocal chords in an otherwise quite humanoid throat. They aren't especially strong or intelligent as a species, and have an incredibly short lifespan compared to bipedals of the same size; an average of 30 years. While originally thought to be an autonomous species, Pleurotaceae have recently been re-classified as a hivemind. (More on that below.)

Pleurotaceae are classified as a radioactive biohazard under the Ippec Coalition of Interspecies Cohabitation, and are strictly forbidden from interplanetary travel without the proper precautions – including wearing a mark somewhere on their body that is clearly visible from a distance of, at minimum, 3 meters away.

While originally thought to be an autonomous species with cultish behaviors, Pleurotaceae were reclassified as a hivemind upon the discovery of the closely related Hohengeist subspecies. Hohengeists, despite being much rarer, are considerably larger & stronger than Pleurotaceae, with a much more developed mycelium network. They are thought to act as the "queen bee" of the hivemind. (Or, more specifically, each of the hivemind's individual "cells", or cities.) The majority of Pleurotaceae spend their short lifespans serving as expendable worker drones, with any signs of nonconformity being quickly crushed or ostracized.

Because Pleurotaceae are totally mute, they rely on a primitive form of telepathy to communicate with each other. At its most basic form, Pleurotaceae communication is enabled by inhalation of their spores, which create false synapses in the brain. This form of communication works as long as spores are regularly inhaled by both parties. However, Pleurotaceae are capable of a more intimate, complicated real-time communication through intertwining of their mycelium "hair". This is often practiced during sleep to encourage deep rest, since Pleurotaceae only sleep around 4 hours per Recnor's 72-hour "day". Please note that these spores are particularly dangerous to mammals, who have been documented to experience psilocybin overdose and anaphylactic shock.

Like real mushrooms, Pleurotaceae do not react well to contact with water, instinctively avoiding it even while influenced by a “Queen”. It is observed to cause adverse health effects if it gets in the gills (branchiae principalis) located behind the curve of their jaws. They instead practice "dry" bathing, typically with sand or any soft but fibrous material. If necessary, they may wet the material with rubbing alcohol, since it quickly evaporates upon exposure to air.

While Pleurotaceae closely resemble their real-world visual inspiration, the Pink Oyster Mushroom, in practice they are a radiotrophic fungus closely related to Cladosporium sphaerospermum. In essence, this means that they digest radiation, instead of simply surviving in spite of radiation. This provides them with nutrition, but also, due to the nature of anaerobic respiration (thought to be the real-world method of "how" radiosynthesis works), means that Pleurotaceae do not require oxygen. Because radiation is quite abundant in space (and oxygen is not), Pleurotaceae are (theoretically) extremely well-adapted to harsh, long-term space travel that would be life-threatening to almost any other bipedal species currently registered under IPPEC.

Although it isn't ideal for them, Pleurotaceae can substitute their diet of radiation with other high-energy chemical reactions. They have a gizzard-like organ in their lower throat for exactly this purpose, as well as 2 stomachs used for the digestion & separation of physical & energy matter. This is thought to be because Pleurotaceae are too large to subside on ambient radiation alone like their smaller, earth-bound cousins.

On Recnor, Pleurotaceae subside both on radiation from their thin atmosphere and from types of radioactive fruit gathered from local flora. Most fruits are 2-chambered, extremely dense seed pods that explode into a mix of acid and erosive gas shortly after the outer shell is cracked & the contents of the two chambers mix. The shell of most pods are about as dense as rock, hence the Pleurotaceae's extremely strong jaw & teeth.

Pleurotaceae are usually around 140 cm (about 4.5 feet), roughly the same height or shorter than a human with dwarfism. There is little to no difference in height between males and females. Their proportions are relatively humanoid, though their heads are a bit larger than a human's, with large, round eyes and square pupils. They only have 3 fingers (counting the thumb) on each hand, and 2 toes on each foot. They have a humanoid but simplified skeletal system, and roughly the same range of motion as a human - aside from the jaw, which can unhinge at the joints, and their large, flat, incredibly dense teeth. Their flesh is the same texture as a raw mushroom, but considerably more rigid and difficult to bruise.

They typically have 4-6 antannae- or horn-like protrusions located near the front outer parietal bone, which have a higher concentration of melanin for the purpose of digesting ambient radiation. Their "hair" is actually their mycelium network, and since that is essentially their secondary brain, they do not cut it - however, it may be styled loosely away from the face when necessary.

• Since Pleurotaceae are inspired by the Pink Oyster mushroom, their most common color is pink. However, they may resemble any of the mushrooms of the real-life pleurotaceae mushroom family, so they may also be shades of off-white or brown. Their mycelium hair can be very dark or very light in color, typically complimentary to their skin. Skin is usually uniform in color. Visual deformations such as freckles, moles, skin tags & vitiligo are extremely rare, but excess gills may occur across the body, not just behind the jaw.
• Teeth are considerably larger than human teeth, and the upper canines typically overlap the lower row of teeth. All of their teeth are molars except the front 4 (canines and incisors) on each row.
• Irises are typically pale blue or green in color, and brown is extremely rare. No other iris colors occur naturally.
• ALL PLEUROTACEAE ARE COMPLETELY MUTE. They do not have vocal chords and are completely incapable of oral vocalizations. However, they may still click their teeth, tongue, or whistle.