The Decapodians are a race of sapient, bipedal lobster-like creatures from Decapod 10. This species evolved from lobsters.
Biology[]
Like lobsters or crabs on Earth, Decapodians have no bones. Instead they have an exoskeleton—a hard, chitinous shell which gives their body the rigidity needed to move about. These shells—like seemingly most of their other organs—are not an integral part of the body, but are moulted and replaced when they grow too large. They may vary in color from pink, red, or brown, and all hues in between. They have claws instead of hands and feet, and have a row of four small finger-like flaps that cover their mouths. The thorax has three ridges, possibly containing orifices, and ink pouches are set in the armpits. A blowhole is set on top of the head, and the males possess a decorative fin in the same place that can be erected at will in times of the mating frenzy.
Decapodian internal organs.
Internal organs are numerous and seem to be vestigial or redundant. There are, among others, four hearts, a gas bladder, an "empathy" bladder, a stink gland, two stomachs, one containing fresh water and the other containing salt water (vomiting from both of them is a sign of happiness), gonads in their necks, and a tiny brain in their rump, which takes over during the mating frenzy.
Decapodians are very strong, and their claws are sharp enough to cut steel bars and similarly hard materials (but not diamond filaments). Decapodians are cold-blooded, the blood appears to be light purple in color. They also have an organ that gives off foul odors when they become bored.
Their diet includes small land mammals as well as aquatic life, especially fish. As a matter of fact, they were single-handedly responsible for the extinction of Earth anchovies by over-consumption. They can also consume substances that Humans would consider inedible, including at least some kinds of fabric.
Pearls[]
Like many Earth mollusks, Decapodians create pearls when irritants are introduced into their throats. These pearls are blue in appearance and can be used to make jewelry.
Reproduction[]
The Decapodian life cycle.
As with most life forms on Earth, female Decapodians carry eggs, which are fertilized by the males. Like many sea creatures, their survival strategy is to produce massive numbers of offspring, rather than to protect a small number of children until adulthood.
Decapodians start life as coral-like formations with multiple siblings, which break away individually one by one. At this point, they live in tide pools and are small enough to be harassed by hermit crabs. They then undergo a succession of different larval stages resembling a hydra, a starfish, a sea urchin, an anglerfish, a lamprey, a clam, a trilobite and a cuttlefish, in that order. When they finally mature into their land-based humanoid stage, they're still child-sized, and grow to adult size after multiple moults.
The Decapodian love ritual.
Decapodians have no concept of love, and enter into relationships only for reproduction. When their mating season arrives, each male attempts to attract a female with an erotic display in the same place as the Humans perform their erotic display—the beach. Successful couples will participate in the mating frenzy. After participating in the frenzy, they die a gruesome death.
Culture and society[]
Decapodian actor Harold Zoid.
Decapodians do most of their building with packed sand. Their government is a totalitarian dictatorship, and there is little freedom on their world, which leads many Decapodians to seek it on other worlds, like Earth. It seems that the Decapodian culture has taken over many things from Human civilization, including many Jewish stereotypes (although, because they're a form of shellfish, this is quite ironic). They sometimes settle matters of honor by Claw-Plach, a ritual battle to the death before a massive audience. They also most commonly have a Yiddish accent.
Politics and war[]
Decapodian warships.
While usually seeming peaceful on the surface, they can be provoked to declare all-out war at a moment's notice. They will enslave the entire population of a planet with their army, and force them to build the tools of their oppressors. They once declared war on Earth, and were actually successful in enslaving the population. However, in spite of the successful completion of the Mobile Oppression Palace, they were defeated and Earth freed by Dr. Zoidberg.
Mobile Oppression Palace[]
The Mobile Oppression Palace.
The Mobile Oppression Palace was a creation of the enslaved Human race after the interplanetary incident created by Dr. Zoidberg on Freedom Day in 3002. He sought sanctuary at the Decapodian Embassy. The Decapodians were so outraged, they sent a fleet of ships and enslaved all of Earth. Using mankind as slave labour, they managed to build the Mobile Oppression Palace. This seemed certain to cement their grip on Earth, but Zoidberg had a change of heart at the last minute and helped destroy the Palace.
The Mobile Oppression Palace was capable of avoiding detection by heat-seeking missiles because all Decapodian technology is "cold-blooded".
Notes[]
- In their life cycle, they progress through increasingly complex stages to adulthood and it must take years to reach their land-based child form.
- Their culture is similar to Hawaii's beaches, including lei necklaces, clothing, hotels and numerous types of seafood, even though they speak with Yiddish accents. Also, a popular restaurant is named the "Red Monkey" (a Red Lobster parody).
- Anchovies went extinct when the Decapodians came to Earth in the early 23rd century and harvested the fishes because anchovies are delicious to them.
- Since Decapodians die after they mate, it is believed that some must remain celibate to take care of the next generation of children after they leave the seas.
- It is heavily implied that they are a communist race with even their flag resembling the first flag of the Soviet Union.
- According to Derrick J. Wyatt, the Omnitrix from the Ben 10 franchise can accept Decapodian DNA.
- Outside of Futurama, Decapodian Dr. Zoidberg has also made a cameo appearance in the Duck Dodgers cartoon Attack of the Drones.