Decapodians

Home Planet: Decapod 10

General
The Decapodians are a race of lobster-like creatures from Decapod 10. Like lobsters or crabs, Decapodians have no bones. Instead they have an exoskeleton&mdash;a hard, outer 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 (3ACV01). The shells have varying hues, but are always monochromatic in tones of red, pink or brown or transitions between these colours. In their mature form, they are generally humanoid, but hairless and hard-shelled. They have claws instead of hands and feet, and have a row of 4 small finger-like flaps that cover their mouths. The thorax has three ridges, possibly containing orifices, and ink pouches are set in the armpits. Internal organs are numerous and seem to be vestigial. There are, among others, four hearts, a gas bladder, a stink gland, and a tiny brain in their rump, which takes over during the mating frenzy. Apparently Decapodians are very strong, and their claws are sharp enough to cut steel bars and similarly hard things (but not diamond filaments). Decapodians are cold-blooded.

Life Cycle
Decapodians go through many different stages during their lives. Starting off as tiny larvae in a puddle, they progress through no less than a dozen forms. (4ACV09)

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. (3ACV03)

Reproduction
As with life 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 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 a erotic display on the beach. Successful couples will participate in the mating frenzy. After participating in the frenzy, they die. This brings into question how Zoidberg knew his parents, but not enough is known to draw any conclusions (i.e., they may have been adoptive parents from another generation). Zoidberg also states that he is "Norm and Sam and Sadie's boy" (3ACV08), which implies Decapodians may have three parents, whether that be one biological and two adoptive or some other combination (or all biological).

Culture
Decapodians do most of their building with packed sand. They settle matters of honor by Claw-Plach. Their government is a totalitarian dictatorship, and there is little freedom on their world, which leads many to seek it on other worlds, like Earth. It seems that the Decapodian culture has taken over many things from Human civilization.

Characters

 * Dr. John Zoidberg
 * Edna
 * Harold Zoid
 * Ambassador Mervin
 * Hugh Man
 * Decapodian Emperor

Trivia

 * "Decapod" means "having 10 feet" - a common trait of crustaceans, though one the Decapodians lack in their mature, bipedal forms.

Quotes

 * Dr. Zoidberg: Fry, it's been years since medical school, so remind me. Disembowelling in your species: Fatal or non-fatal?
 * Decapodian Emperor: Once invoked, the sacred tradition of Claw-Plach can not be taken back. It is a recent tradition, only 18 years old, but it is a tradition nonetheless.

Appearances
Note: Not all episodes featuring Zoidberg are listed, only episodes showing other Decapodians, or those revealing new information about the race.
 * "Why Must I Be a Crustacean In Love?" (2ACV05)
 * "Amazon Women in the Mood" (3ACV01)
 * "Teenage Mutant Leela's Hurdles" (4ACV09)