| Murp | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
| General Information | |||
| Universe | SPORE | ||
| Classification | Murp | ||
| Species Type | Murp | ||
| Homeworld | Pteis | ||
| Environment | Ocean | ||
| Intelligence | Non-sapient | ||
| Biochemistry | Carbon-based lifeform | ||
| Biological Information | |||
| Reproduction | Sexual; lays eggs | ||
| Average Length | 10 μm | ||
| Locomotion | Propelled by single flagellum | ||
| Feeding Behavior | Herbivorous | ||
| Prey | Phytoplankton | ||
| Distinctive Features | Dual defensive spines facing back | ||
| Eye Color | Orange | ||
| Skin Color | Translucent Orange with heavier orange stripes | ||
| Lineage Information | |||
| Ancestor(s) | Urgah, Eomurp | ||
| Descendant(s) | Jetturp | ||
| Cultural Information | |||
| Alignment | True Neutral | ||
| Sociocultral characteristics | |||
| Scientific Taxonomy | |||
| Planet | Pteis | ||
| Genus | Murp | ||
| Other Information | |||
| Status | Extinct in the Wild | ||
| Creator | Somarinoa | ||
| “Murps are the holotype for an entire lineage of Pteisian zooplankton. They excrete dangerous poisons to keep their foes at bay.” |
| —Vacotor Database, Terran translation |
Murps are the holotype of the Murp lineage, the first in the line of true Murps that had started with the earlier and much more primitive Eomurp. Like the rest of their lineage and descendants, they are indigenous to the planet Pteis.
Physiology[]
As small nanoplankton coming in at only 6 μm (about the width of spider's silk), they are just barely visible to the average naked eye. Their bodies are tiny and translucent, with a thick, almost ovalloid body shape that tapers at the anterior end where the eyestalks extend out from and ends at a trio of tendrils used to pull food into the body. It tapers greatly towards the posterior of the organism as well, but a pair of bulbous spines cause it to temporarily widen back out before tapering even further into the single flagellum that powers its movement.
Their hue is orange, and calcareous growths sit along the top of the cell to help strengthen its form. Eomurps are an advanced enough organism where they require sexual intercourse to reproduce, with one of the individuals acting as mother until it can produce an egg that it will lay between 20-45 minutes later, depending upon the amount of excess substance the creature has recently consumed that it can forfeit to create the egg.
Background History[]
First appearing in the fossil record at GY 1,000,000,000,000, the Murps steadily out-competed their ancestors, Eomurp ambiacanthus, eventually weeding them out and leading to their eventual and inevitable extinction. Although the Eomurps had survived for 500 million years, they were unable to keep up with their offspring. Even so, Murps were still close to the bottom of the food chain.
They had less to worry about from some of their competition, as they excreted poisonous substances that would ward other herbivores and even some carnivores away. As such, competing for food against the Grubbies, Minnos, and Pokeys was not particularly difficult for them. They had also outgrown Goldies, which now were only successfully able to feed upon juvenile Murps, who were smaller and which had not yet accumulated enough poison to properly release in viable doses. They still had to worry about predation from Boosters and Chompers. Because Murps were not particularly swift-moving creatures, they still had to contend with faster herbivores stealing their food before they could reach it, such as the Shysters.
As a Lazarus Species[]
A common galactic trend is for a planet's sapient inhabitants to bring back species that have gone extinct. Although this often begins with species the sapients themselves killed off during their vie for command of their world, it eventually tends to lead to bringing back any species they find in the fossil record. Although DNA does not last for that long of a period, small levels of time travel have been utilized to go back in time in fully-sterilized suits to extract DNA from subject species without killing them in the process, thus allowing them to be returned to their environment and continue life as it would have otherwise occurred. The Murps are another of these specimens brought back in such a manner. Because they are so ancient, they have not been reintroduced to their original ecosystems because this could cause irreparable harm to the current ecosystem as they would be little more than an invasive species by that point. Instead, they are kept in specialized observation tanks, where they interact with specimens that also existed during their time period, and also from the same environment.
They are also placed in stasis vials and sold on the market for the various filter feeding sapients that exist in the galaxy, such as the Zolacians and the Hydrothi. Murps are considered a delicacy due to being such an ancient species, and can fetch a high price in the right markets, though not as much as the Eomurps.
Appearances[]
Spore[]
In SPORE, the Murps were the third species played during creator Somarinoa's 2018 play through of the game. They would give way to the Jetturps after collecting the Jet part.
Amalgam Online[]
The Murps appear in several locations across the Amalgam Galaxy. They can be found in the Galactic Zoo, but can also be found in various Great Trade Organization shops built for filter feeder species, or in the Vacotor Knowledge Symposium as a specimen under study. Some science rooms of their sapient descendants also can be found with tanks that hold them, as well. Observing any of these tanks will pop up an inset screen showing several sprites of them moving around.
Monster Space[]
In Monster Space, the Murps themselves do not appear; however, far larger Dire Murps can be found instead. These are docile organisms that will not intentionally injure you, though their spikes do cause damage and they do exude a poisonous miasma that will injure you if you swim into it. They are herbivores and may feed on any smaller species of plant they come across.
A multi-form boss version of the Dire Murp can be found known as the Pteis Hypercell, though not in its first form. Instead, it begins as a gigantic Eomurp referred to as its "Hyper Eomurp" form, that swims around and doesn't directly attack. However, once this form is defeated it grows a poison sac and becomes much more dangerous in its second form, the "Hyper Murp". It then will grow a jet propulsion organelle and become the "Hyper Jetturp", making it move much faster around the battlefield. Next it grows out its spines to cover its entire body as it enters "Hyper Stineurp" form, making contact with it from any angle dangerous. Once you defeat it as Hyper Stineurp it finally dies, giving you four eggs that can each be used to summon a Dire Eomurp, Dire Murp, Dire Jetturp, or Dire Stineurp as a vanity companion pet. These don't initially do anything but can be upgraded to battle pets in the right locations (see: functioning Genetic Labs).
Dangerous Wilds[]
In Dangerous Wilds, the Murps are now found only in some ancient, abandoned labs, still living in observation tanks. Like before, you can view them and an inset will pop up to show the creatures. However, Dire Murps can also be encountered as a passive species living in large bodies of water. These Dire Murps will not try and harm you, but running into them from behind will cause you to get stabbed by their defensive spikes and moving anywhere close to them can leave you poisoned.
Long Story[]
They make a cameo in Long Story. Here, they are found on the planet Pteis when the party must go there during an attempt to prevent a galactic monetary bubble crisis intended to throw the entire galaxy into chaos and poverty, thus making them more susceptible to accepting subjugation by the Crux Space Pirates. The Murps are once again found in observation tanks, being watched over by their descendants who state that they have brought the species back from the dead to better understand their own past. Also, because it is a nutritious food source for filter feeder species like the Zolacian, which can be purchased and made to profit off of.
Grown[]
They make a cameo in Chapter 35. This chapter starts out with the player first playing as an Eomurp and having to survive long enough to reach sapience. After consuming 5 phytoplankton specimens, the player evolves into a Murp and from there must consume 10 additional phytoplankton to evolve into the next stage, the Jetturp.