Deep Shroom

The Deep Shroom is a hazardous flora species found in abundance in the Blood Kelp Zones and their caves, in small clusters. It is also found in the Lost River and the Sea Treader's Tunnel Caves. It can be used as a raw material in the manufacturing of Hydrochloric Acid.

The player can either pick it up by hand or by using a knife to harvest Deep Shroom Spores. However, harvesting in this manner can cause severe damage to the player due to the release of acid.

The Deep Shroom, and its spores, can be planted in an Exterior Growbed or in an Alien Containment.

Despite being a close cousin to the regular Acid Mushroom, it cannot be used to fabricate Batteries.

Appearance
The Deep Shroom is very similar to the Acid Mushroom, as they share the same model, save for the difference in coloration.

Instead of the usual purplish cap and pink stem, the Deep Shroom bears a white cap, becoming pink towards the centre, and a dark grey stem.

Behavior
Like the Acid Mushroom, the Deep Shroom posses highly acidic compounds in its flesh that leeches into the water if its outer-skin is pierced. As such, harvesting spores from the Deep Shroom with a knife triggers its acidic flesh defense, dealing 8 damage.

Do take note that a chain reaction could happen, with one Deep Shroom being destroyed damaging other surrounding Deep Shrooms. This chain reaction can instantly kill a player, wreck a Seabase or heavily damage vehicles so it is advised to separate the Deep Shrooms before the player harvests them.

In addition, fluctuations in the local water pressure cause it to shrink, as such, when the player approaches the Deep Shroom, it will shrink, only returning to its original form after a period of time or when the player leaves.

Trivia

 * The Deep Shroom is a subspecies of the Acid Mushroom found in shallower biomes. Its difference in colouration is thus an evolutionary mechanic, which can also be found in many real-life animal and plant species - a direct result of the loss of pigmentation due to restrictions in available nutrients.
 * Certain Trello notes refer to the Deep Shroom as the Ghost Mushroom.