Tau Cetan

Tau Cetans are a hostile space-faring civilization from Tau Ceti.

Biology
Tau Cetans are green-skinned cephalopod-like creatures with nine tentacle-arms, 14 bright red eyes and numerous sharp teeth. When they feel threatened, they release a strong smell.

It's currently not known whether their shapeshifting abilities are natural or technological.

Culture and society
All Tau Cetans respond to an authority known as the great Mother, which they're always eager to please.

They're a hostile species, keen on preemptively destroying races that are about to develop into space-faring civilizations, in order to eliminate potential rivals.

Appearances

 * "I Plinglot, Who You?", by Frederik Pohl (1959)