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Description
Eggcases of aredeiphonid neolobites, either Aredeiphon palaoensis, or A. microthalassicus, in various stages of maturity, off the western coast of Anak Palao.
The neolobites are a group of Tlaquanaran arthropods that nearly went extinct some 255 million years ago, save for a few taxa that entered into a symbiotic relationship with diatom-like, silicate-processing protists. This symbiotic relationship allowed the surviving neolobites to impregnate their exoskeletons with silicates, thereby limiting the ability of ectoparasites, epibionts and predators to attack them. Conversely, this dependence on silicate has, with some notable exceptions, restricted the neolobites to silicate-rich marine environments. Most neolobites have long, arduous, and danger-fraught planktonic larval stages where they need to feed on enough silicate-producing plankton to enter their juvenile instars. The aredeiphonids are a successful group of nektonic neolobites who have evolved eggcases to protect and nourish their young while attracting and trapping the necessary silicate-processing protists to serve as future symbiotes. The first egg to hatch immediately begins feeding on its unhatched and undeveloped siblings, and then, begins feeding on the placenta-like eggcase. Fertilized females generally produce two to 20 eggcases, depending on the genus, (up to 50 in the case of Gigantodeiphon), once a year upon the conclusion of spawning season.

Description
Eggcases of aredeiphonid neolobites, either Aredeiphon palaoensis, or A. microthalassicus, in various stages of maturity, off the western coast of Anak Palao.
The neolobites are a group of Tlaquanaran arthropods that nearly went extinct some 255 million years ago, save for a few taxa that entered into a symbiotic relationship with diatom-like, silicate-processing protists. This symbiotic relationship allowed the surviving neolobites to impregnate their exoskeletons with silicates, thereby limiting the ability of ectoparasites, epibionts and predators to attack them. Conversely, this dependence on silicate has, with some notable exceptions, restricted the neolobites to silicate-rich marine environments. Most neolobites have long, arduous, and danger-fraught planktonic larval stages where they need to feed on enough silicate-producing plankton to enter their juvenile instars. The aredeiphonids are a successful group of nektonic neolobites who have evolved eggcases to protect and nourish their young while attracting and trapping the necessary silicate-processing protists to serve as future symbiotes. The first egg to hatch immediately begins feeding on its unhatched and undeveloped siblings, and then, begins feeding on the placenta-like eggcase. Fertilized females generally produce two to 20 eggcases, depending on the genus, (up to 50 in the case of Gigantodeiphon), once a year upon the conclusion of spawning season.