Atlapak

Often compared to evolutionarily unrelated mantis shrimp, atlapaks have banded shells that offer considerable mobility. Their eight pairs of legs have evolved for walking and swimming; to perceive their surroundings, they have inquisitive antennae and three compound eyes mounted on movable stalks. These large, amphibious arthropods are also famous for their explosively devastating claws—one pincer designed for grasping and tearing and another capable of opening and snapping shut with incredible speed to generate cavitating sonic blasts. Rather than creating a localized explosion, an atlapak can fan its abdominal plates to focus and direct the sonic energy into a distant burst that can stun or outright kill prey hundreds of feet away. The denser the medium—whether liquid or gas—the more effective the blast. Atlapaks can grow as much as 10 feet long, while juveniles are around 5 feet long.
Atlapaks prefer lurking in sheltered burrows that provide commanding views, such as coral reefs or low hills. From there, the creatures hunt by ambush, waiting for prey to approach within easy striking range before unleashing several sonic bursts and closing in for the kill. Underwater, atlapaks often cohabitate with colonial tube worms like the pileated tsorkos, which gradually accumulate sandy mounds and tunnels. The atlapaks help watch for danger and often leave food scraps, while the worms provide good hiding spots and vantage points.
Older atlapaks more often leave the water to seek terrestrial prey, using their natural buoyancy to hover several hundred feet above the surface while scouting for food. Drifting in this way also helps adults find mates, and although atlapaks most often reproduce in water, their eggs can survive in humid terrestrial environments. Some unlucky jungle explorers have fallen prey to the young arthropods when atlapak eggs adhered to the underside of tree branches hatch and drift into convoys. Although unintelligent, atlapaks exhibit utterly uncanny ballistics mastery. Their antennae are extremely sensitive to humidity and currents, for which the arthropods adjust their aim. Not only do their questing compound eyes provide exceptional depth perception, but their lenses also help them compensate for the refracting and obscuring qualities of water vapor and other gases, providing them with a clear view of their surroundings even in foggy conditions. Collectively, these features enable atlapaks to pinpoint and strike even fast-moving targets.
Fresh atlapak meat has a clean taste that appeals to many species, though it acquires a repugnant sliminess within hours of the creature’s death. As a result, connoisseurs often commission live atlapak shipments to their restaurants, despite the danger the cargo presents for most starships. Kalo are especially partial to atlapak flesh, hunting the animals to near-extinction on their home world, Kalo-Mahoi.