Cephalopod

UK14-Palnak — Palnak in the 33rd century.

A cephalopod is a class of animal lifeform notable for having tentacles (such as an octopus) or a molluscan foot (like a snail). On Earth, it was a biological classification that applied strictly to invertebrate marine life, but on other planets several such species developed into space-faring civilizations.

History and specifics[]

Cephalopods evolved on Earth millions of years ago. Examples include ammonites, which flourished in the Cretaceous Period with thousands of distinct species. (TOS novel: First Frontier)

The skin of undersea cephalopods had a unique, fleshy texture. (ST - Destiny novel: Gods of Night) Some cephalopods could change this texture and their skin color. (DS9 novel: Ascendance)

Intelligent species[]

Some cephalopods, such as squales, had chromatophores in their skin allowing them to change color, either with neon tints or more natural camouflage colors. (TTN novel: Over a Torrent Sea)

Palnak's species were starfaring, highly advanced, inventive, and long-lived. A thumb and two fingers adorned each of their four tentacles. (TOS comic: "The Ageless One")

Non-humanoid Sklurrians had gigantic snail shells and a molluscan foot, though they sometimes traveled atop an antigrav platform. (TOS comic: "Shell Game")

Humanoid Syclarians retained vestigial gills from their aquatic origins. They had eyestalks, as well as tentacles instead of fingers and toes. They kept octopus-like h'stirips as pets. (SCE - Some Assembly Required eBook: The Riddled Post)

Dhoraxi bodies were made of intertwined tentacles that could be formed into limbs, and they could deliver a neural shock on contact. (TOS - New Visions comic: "1971/4860.2")

Animals[]

The venom of the Argoan sur-snake provided a gateway to genetic engineering for Aquans, Humans and Vulcans to breathe water. This aquatic animal had characteristics of cephalopods and cetaceans, with a dual-respiratory system. (TAS episode & Log Five novelization: The Ambergris Element)

Aboard a Brunyg starship, the bridge central display console was a dome containing a cephalopod slave who managed various control arrays with its tentacles. (TLE novel: The Buried Age)

Jean-Luc Picard kept a fossilized cephalopod in his ready room aboard the USS Enterprise-D. (TNG novel: Dyson Sphere)

Encounters[]

In 2267, sapient red octopus monsters living in the ocean rescued the damaged Federation Survey II on Tekkor. (TOS comic: "Under the Sea")

In 2267, Starfleet's first contact with the giant snail-like Sklurrians revealed that the Romulan Empire was blockading their homeworld. (TOS comic: "Shell Game")

In 2268, Spock discovered living ammonites on Earth, a cephalopod species that became extinct at the same time as the dinosaurs, proving that time had been altered. (TOS novel: First Frontier)

Cephalopods lived on Nereus II, or at least Lieutenant Sengar Hesh was concerned that large enough ones could damage their amphibious rover Vixen in 2269. (SKR novel: Second Nature)

In the early 2270s, on reference stardate 2/1805, the Miranda-class USS Audacious made first contact with psychokinetic Xelatians aboard a nuclear-powered starship in the Tau 56 system. By 2286 they were negotiating for admission to the Federation. (FASA RPG module: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update)

In 2381, one form taken by the Null above the Sentry planet during its engagement with the USS Titan was that of an enormous cephalopod with gigantic tentacles. (TTN novel: Synthesis)

In 2381, a three-eyed cephalopod was present on Starbase 25. (LD episode: "An Embarrassment of Dooplers")