Spore Style Game

Ok so we're going with photosynthesis. Do other people like Copper's idea for a change to the exoskeleton (because it doesn't really matter to me)?

Also how will the photosynthesis work, it obviously can't go through your exoskeleton. So it there some kind of weaker part of the exoskeleton where you absorb light or do you have some kind of external part to absorb the light? (Like a leaf(s) or something?)

leaves could work, I guess, but make them go around the edges of the bowl like flower petals and able to act as flat flagella when moving.

You mean like fins right? Because flagella are not flat. They're... well yeah. You might have to wait for another evolution to make them be useful for movement too. Still, something to look forward to.

Other opinions?

And yes, I did mean a fake piece of crystal to lure prey to us.

Ok so since there were no objections, leaves around the edge of the bowl it is.

The current has become less strong where you are now. Nearby there are a few directions you could go. There is a large wall of rock as far as you can see in one direction with a small tunnel you could go down. You could go further upwards where it's brighter. You could go to another direction where there's a wall of ice riddled with cracks (easily large enough for dozens of you to pass through side by side). Or you could just go out into the open waters and maybe down where its a bit darker (just farther away from the surface) if you like.

Move toward the wall of rock but also upward to where it is brighter: food from both rock and light.

No objections here, towards the rock wall and the surface a bit.

You notice the occasional other thing that eats rocks and a predator here or there but nothing especially close to where you are (seems things fanned out away from the current a bit). You also notice above there is a lot of activity, but you'd have to get closer to see what's going on there.

Move closer then, and continue soaking up the rays

Seconded.

Above you against the rock wall there is a plant-like thing with many tendrils (roots?) dug into the rock and at least twice as many sort of hanging about in every direction. The main "body" of the thing seems to be a somewhat transparent sphere. In the center of the sphere it looks like it's just a large knot of the tendrils that extend out of it. The tendrils and the knot looks a somewhat dark shade (you can't see color). The tendrils that are floating out in the water grab hold of the corpses that fall downwards that touch them (which most do since the tendrils are spread out in almost a net like manner).

Around and above this plant-like thing you see with more clarity the motion you had noticed before. It appears to just be a large group of creatures either trying to feed on a section of the rock wall above, the sphere of the plant-like thing, the creatures feeding on the wall or the plant-like thing or the other predators.

Suggested actions:
Soak up some rays
Slowly move closer to the feeding frenzy until you can start recognizing the types of things going this way and that
Don't touch the tendrils

I will note a couple things.

You don't have to declare anything to do your photosythetic feeding. However, because you're a pretty active creature you can't sustain yourself off that alone. Especially since you're still using up a lot of energy by reproducing via splitting.

You will pretty much have to go around the tendrils to avoid touching them.

Go around the tendrils then. Slowly so we're not expending a whole lot more energy than we're expending with movement.

Or I guess we can spend 2 months floating gently beneath the tendrils.