| Species Information | |
|---|---|
| Horta | |
| |
| Quadrant: | Alpha Quadrant |
| Star System: | Janus |
| Planet: | Janus VI |
| Species Type: | silicon-based lifeform |
| Discovered By: | USS Enterprise |
| Leader(s): | Prime Mother, Janus Parliament |
| Contact: | 2267 |
| Affiliation: | UFP |
The Horta are silicon-based lifeforms native to Janus VI. They are members of the United Federation of Planets.
Physiology
The exterior of a Horta consists of a ruddy or grey-brown rocky carapace which is highly resistant to damage; anything but the highest phaser settings feels like nothing more than a mild irritation to the Horta. Young Horta have been affectionately described as a glittering pan pizza about half a meter high, however a fully grown adult Horta more resembles a rugged, rounded, glittering shape over a meter tall and two meters broad, patched in rough amethyst, tourmaline and ruby; with dark fringes all around.
The carapace is sprayed with a teflon compound when Horta go offworld, as the oxygen environment favored by a majority of Federation species tends to be corrosive after lenghty exposure.
On their underside, Horta have numerous cilia to move about, protected by a ring of fringes growing from the edges of the carapace.
They have poor eyesight, and mostly see in the Infrared spectrum. Their method of hearing involves detecting atmospheric vibrations, and they have a highly developed sense of smell that assists them in communication.
Horta are able to survive exposure to the vacuum of space, though the shock often results in a temporary 'stunned' state, and prolonged exposure may lead to coma.
They also happily eat through power conduits, quite unaffected by energies and radiation passing through them.
Nutrition
The Horta diet consists of rocks and minerals which they dissolve with a powerful acid secreted from glands at the underside of their bodies; this acid is also the means by which Horta tunnel through their rocky environment as easily as a humanoid might walk through air.
When a Horta is frightened, it may lose control of their acid glands in an instinctive urge to tunnel to safety. They can however learn to suppress this instinct, so as to for example not damage the deck plates of a Federation vessel and unceremoniously drop to the deck below.
Since Horta derive both nutrition and flavor from the metallic elements and silicates found in the rock they eat, they can tak a bite of any mineral or metal and seconds later give a readout of its constituent elements, with the expert precision of a gourmet reporting on the ingredients and balance of a wine sauce.
Spacefaring Horta find isolinear chips with an oil dip a refreshing snack, as replicated rock often lacks flavor. When possible, they like to buy rocks and minerals from other worlds, many of which are considered delicacies.