Puddle Spore

Puddle Spores are a species of molluscoid found in the Magmoor Caverns on Tallon IV that use a thick, foul-smelling shell to allow them to float in lava by keeping this shell closed tightly at nearly all times. When a predator approaches one however they will open their shell up in an attempt to make themselves appear larger than they really are. If a predator continues to approach, they will resort to slamming shut to eject a spray of harmful energy globules. Sapient beings can use a Puddle Spores' defense postures to their advantage however, by firing a beam weapon into their open mouths to cause them to shriek in injury and flip themselves over in an attempt to further protect themselves, allowing the sapient to then use their under-shells as a sort of stepping stone across the lava that they inhabit. Because Puddle Spores will only inhabit lava pools and puddles too large for a typical sapient being to properly jump over, this is considered a desirable tactic. It is possible that they are in some way related to the Dark Phlogi on Dark Aether or the Spore Spawn on Zebes.