Culacaon

Culacaons are a species native to Culacao, one of the many inhabited worlds of the Vega System. They are notable for their extreme sexual dimorphism, in which the males are sapient humanoids, while the females are non-sapient gastropods.

Biology
Male Culacaons are humanoids with an erect posture and no tail. They have five-fingered hands, pointed ears, and their bodies are covered in short yellow fur.

Unlike the males, female Culacaons are non-sapient and look like a completely different species. They are giant snail-like grazers with brown bodies and pearly grey shells, with a mauve-colored membrane.

For reproduction to take place, male Culacaons use spears to rupture the membranes of the females: a ritual known as gamugha. The females then enter into a dormant state which might be mistaken for death. Their shells become dry and brittle, and the ruptured membrane is covered by a cobweb-like substance. After a couple of days, the females undergo binary fission and infant males develop inside their shells.

Since considerable strength is necessary to rupture the female's membrane, only adult males are capable of performing gamugha. It's not known how they did it before the spears were invented, although it might be assumed that they used simpler tools such as stones and sharp sticks.

Appearances

 * Omega Men #27 (1985)