A Study of Hummus - The Boring Stuff

Calcaei, Weltra, and Iu'husid can all be said to have a subspecies of the slime race. Really though, since there isn't any sexual reproduction, these are mostly visual and cultural characteristics.

Calcaei slimes are the lightest blue. It's been suggested this is because the higher amount of solar radiation.

Weltra slimes are slightly darker, frequently with localized purple patches. The frequently sport two pairs of tendrils - or tentcles, if you prefer - in addition to whatever limbs they are currently utilizing - this is more a widespread social convention. If a Calcaei slime moves to Weltra, it ususally takes two generations for their ofsping to be indistingusable from the locals, with definately noticable traits in the first generation in transition. The same for the opposite direction.

Iu'husid slimes are the darkest, reaching into navy blues. The are significantly larger than the others, on average. As their origins are engineered, they do not experience nearly the same transition as the other subspecies. Calcaei and Weltra slimes will darken further in subsequent generations, but will never get as dark as the Uber lines.

In "natural" reproduction, which has bilogical triggers, A parent slime "reformats" as it splits into multiple child slimes. This is why controlled reproduction is usually preferred - a controlled separation splits the memories of the parent between it's offspring - some of WHICH memories are discovered as the child grows up. But it also has a bit less maturing to do - a controlled baby slime, if there's enough mass to be viable, has the intelligence of a 6 year old human.

Yes, there is a good possibility some of the children will never "wake up". It's a greater chance in "natural" reproduction - and the more children the parent tries to have.

Controlled separation has, at times, been used as an alternative to the death penalty.

Among most, wanting to go through natural reproduction is seen as worse than wanting yourself euthanized, because of the burden being placed on society. But every culture has a counterculture - natural birth communes feel like a mix of Amish communities and prison colonies. 

Adulthood is generally held as when a slime stops gaining organic mass. While water weight is a seperate thing - after a certain point it doesn't matter how much is eaten, the food just processes less efficiently. Adult mass can vary rather significantly, even among a single set of sisters.

Mass and intelligence are not directly related. However, a significant los of mass once a slime has reached adulthood is the equivelent of brain damage. They can learn to live around it, but there's no way they're getting back to their original organic mass.