Pak'shree

Pak'shree are a large, sentient arthropodal species allied with the United Federation of Planets. They resemble large crustaceans or beetles approximately three meters in length, although their internal anatomy is substantially different from Earth arthropods, with respiratory and circulatory systems better able to sustain creatures of great size.

The Pak'shree body has two sets of six tentacles emerging from the sides of the head segment. These tentacles can operate independently or lock together by means of suckerlike protrusions on their surface to act like arms of a sort, giving them great versatility. The tentacles are also the Pak'shree's primary mode of speech. Whereas basic concepts such as emotions, personal names and alarm calls are conveyed through stridulation of the mouthparts, more advanced and abstract language is conveyed gesturally by the tentacles.

Pak’shree are born neuter, becoming male at puberty and female at full maturity. Since they are only male for a few years, Pak’shree males are entirely fixated on reproduction and competition for same, leaving it up to the females to get anything responsible done. Thus, mature (female) Pak'shree often have difficulty taking the adult males of other species seriously.