Author Notes - The Peckish Aristocrab is certainly a fascinating enemy, isn't it? It's also very painful to fight if you don't have rocks. Whether I'm talking Pikmin or bombs when I say 'rocks' is up to you, since both are appropriate.
ONIONSHELL FAMILY
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthopoda
Class: Crustacea
Order: Decapoda
EMILY'S PERSONAL NOTES
I won't lie⦠this critter scares me as much as it fascinates me. It's, wait for it, actually intelligent. Like, it's one of the smartest creatures on the planet. Incredibly so. It doesn't just rush in and attack, but actually thinks about its strategies before it fights and continues to make surprisingly smart decisions. If it wasn't for Rock Pikmin, this would be arguably one of the most dangerous creatures in the whole ecosystem.
The one part I don't like about it is that weird chemical in its body. I'm no botanist so I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it's the same stuff you find in onions. So when I tried dissecting one for the sake of research... OH MY GOODNESS, MY EYES! The dang thing had me crying for hours!
PHYSICAL APPEARANCES
The only known member of this family, the Brachyurices esurio (Peckish Aristocrab), bears a resemblance to a green-and-purple onion, hence the family name. It has two yellow spots on its body that appear to be eyes, though the creature's true eyes are the yellow ones on stalks coming from the top of its body. It walks around on four skinny crab-like legs, and has a big mouth that opens up much like a hatch.
Its most notable feature is its claws. On the females, they are both the same size and connected directly to the exoskeletons. On the males, however, one claw will be significantly bigger than the other, being bigger than the creature itself. This claw will be made of a substance very similar to crystal, and this claw is used in many aspects in the male's life. It regrows in the span of a single night if it is ever shattered.
HABITAT
Aristocrabs live around freshwater, rarely coming onto land. Their preferred terrain is sandy beaches, though they also like living near mossy ponds in the middle of forests. They can live on land for lengthy periods of time before they have to return to the waters.
DIET AND DEFENCES
The Aristocrab will eat whatever prey will fit into its claw. Naturally, this means that the males often eat bigger prey than the females. Small fish and insects take up a large part of their diet, though they will occasionally pick at fresh meat. Their habit of eating whatever they grab can be easily turned against them if they are tricked into swallowing something explosive.
The species exhibits surprisingly high levels of intelligence. It will rarely charge at its potential predators head on, preferring to stave around until they are able to take the predator by surprise. Those rushing from the ground will struggle to reach its body, for it is capable of straightening its legs and lifting its body into the air. Those who attack from above will be met with a claw that is especially difficult to get through.
Note, however, that the claw is not indestructible. A sufficient force, such as a heavy rock, can shatter it. This leaves a male Aristocrab practically females lack this crystallised claw and thus do not have such a weakness, but their own claws aren't quite as powerful. Both male and female Aristocrabs have demonstrated the ability to expel a series of bubbles out of their mouth, potentially trapping or confusing any predators. Note, however, that this is not intentional on their part. It is merely what happens when extreme stress causes the crab to vent from the wrong discharge valve.
SOCIAL STRUCTURE
Aristocrabs are primarily solitary creatures, preferring to stick to big territories without crossing over. However, they will sometimes meet up at the edges of their territories. Most of these encounters end with the crabs leaving each other alone with nothing more than an act of intimidation. Sometimes, though, a male will choose to fight with another to claim more space or win a mate.
Two fighting Aristocrabs will attempt to shatter the other's claw first. There are no rules to these fights, and many of them end with rocks being thrown to ensure victory. The loser is allowed to live, though he will face great embarrassment from other Aristocrabs and has a much lower chance of finding a mate. Those who decline a battle are often seen as someone so powerful that a battle would be unnecessary.
COURTING AND CHILDREARING
The males of the species do the courting. When a male Aristocrab is sexually mature, he will tap his claw much like one might play cymbals. While most males will be seen 'clicking' their claw in this manner, a simple pattern without a tune indicates nothing more than a relief from boredom. The mating call of a male Aristocrab will play a simplistic tune. The tune can be told apart from the regular clicks by the tap-doubletap-tap pattern.
A female in heat will seek out an available male playing this tune. Oftentimes, multiple females are drawn to this sound. If this happens, then the male will have multiple females as mates. Rarely, two male Aristocrabs may end up attracting the same female. If this happens, a fight much like those mentioned before will break out.
After mating, the male will lead the female(s) to a safe spot underwater. He will defend the female(s) until the eggs hatch. The eggs are stored in the body of the female, and she will not release them until after they hatch. All parents involved will stay with the hatched larvae until they gain their namesake onion-shaped shell. Male and female offspring grow at the same rates, though the crystalline claw of the males will take some time to fully grow.
OTHER NOTES
The insides of their bodies contain a chemical strikingly similar to that found in onions. It can only be found in the flesh of the crab; merely peeling away its exoskeleton will not release it. When one cuts into an Aristocrab to dissect it, this chemical is discharged into the air and can cause itchy and watery eyes. Precautions must be taken when dissecting or slicing this creature.
NOTES FROM OTHER RESEARCHERS
Peckish Aristocrab -
It had the right idea, coating its enormous claw in a crystal shell, but we have Rock Pikmin for that. Once you break the claw, it's not so bad. You have to be careful not to drown, though, since you'll usually meet one near water. It's got extensible legs to thwart a Pikmin charge, so I find that throwing Pikmin is more effective. That also works for freeing anyone trapped in one of its bubbles. - Alph
There's something so familiar about this thing...oh! It was the Hocotatian onion I studied in my research days. Now THAT was a dangerous plant. One little incision and I couldn't stop crying for hours! - Brittany
Everybody knows that rock is supposed to defeat scissors. So how come my steely fists don't do anything against this thing's claws? Sure, it barfed up a few bubbles when I hit it, but all that accomplished was trapping me inside!- Captain Charlie
Author Notes - It's always fun working with creatures who display actual intelligence in the game. Many enemies clearly only have two thought processes: 'must eat' and 'must make babies' (the latter never really showing up in-game, of course). But sometimes you get a creature like the Aristocrab that changes all of that.
The next entry is either very exciting or very boring, cos we'll be taking about Pellet Posies!
