Medusal Slurker

Medusal Slurker
Appears in	Pikmin 3
Scientific name	Stauromedusae manifoldii
Family	Umbloda
Areas	Tropical Wilds, Garden of Hope
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages	Tropical Forest, Silver Lake Remix, Forgotten Cove
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages	The Rustyard, Forgotten Cove, Clockwork Chasm
Side Story days	Channel Gone Dry
Bingo Battle stages	Stagnant Sea, Blooming Terrace, Jigsaw Colosseum, Jigsaw Fortress
Attacks	Captures Pikmin and leaders

The Medusal Slurker (トロロタラシ^?, lit.: "Sticky Dripper") is an enemy from Pikmin 3. It is a pink, floating, translucent, jellyfish-like enemy with two small serpentine eyes and a single antenna sprouting from its top that resembles a Seeding Dandelion. It has a green pouch inside its head for storing food. This pouch has an uvula-like appendage hanging from it, which it extends to the ground and expands to trap Pikmin and leaders. It is first fought in the Garden of Hope, and defeating it will free the Rock Pikmin it had in its body, allowing the player to use them.

Medusal Slurkers can be found with a variety of items in their pouches, including previously-trapped Pikmin, bomb rocks, fruits, and even Louie in DLC levels for Mission Mode. The one found in the Tropical Wilds conceals a Juicy Gaggle.

Although the swallowed Pikmin will not die directly from the enemy, they will be counted as "sunset fatalities" if the day ends before they are rescued. The Rock Pikmin encountered inside the first Medusal Slurker will never be counted as dead this way, and will be inside the enemy in all days until released.

Stats

Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health
6	12 (normally)	8	× 15  × 15	750

Notes

Alph's comments

“Structural flaw: weak hide
Weight: 6

The first one of these I came across had Rock Pikmin trapped inside it, and I've seen them engulfing small fruits, but it doesn't seem to be eating them. There's no digestion going on, at least. Is it just trying to make friends?”

Brittany's comments

“The polka dot motif on top of the translucent membrane is a striking look, especially with the puffball on its head accenting the whole ensemble. I could see a dress patterned after this creature being a big hit on Koppai. Not that I'd be caught dead in one.”

Charlie's comments

 US version

“This cowardly blob holds Pikmin hostage within its own body. Its fatal mistake is not sucking up every last one of my li'l troops. The last survivors are that much thirstier for revenge!”

 European version

“This cowardly blob holds Pikmin hostage within its own body. Its fatal mistake is not sucking up every last one of my troops. The last survivors are that much thirstier for revenge!”

Louie's comments

“Makes for a tangy and fresh sorbet! Place in the freezer for two hours or until firm. Garnish with a slice of candied lemon before serving.”

Olimar's comments

 US version

“Medusal Slurker
Stauromedusae manifoldii
Umbloda family

Most of its body is translucent and gelatinous. It drifts on the wind using the puffstalk on its head and captures passersby below with its adhesive manubrium. The purpose of this behavior is unknown, as examining its catches reveals no trace of saliva or gastric fluid on them. Unlike most aquatic jellyfish, it has no tentacles or nematocysts, making it safe to handle. It may even be safe to ride in, opening up exciting new transportation possibilities.”

 European version

“Medusal Slurker
Stauromedusae manifoldii
Umbloda family

Most of its body is translucent and gelatinous. It drifts on the wind using the puffstalk on its head and captures passersby below with its adhesive manubrium. The purpose of this behaviour is unknown, as examining its catches reveals no trace of saliva or gastric fluid on them. Unlike most aquatic jellyfish, it has no tentacles or nematocysts, making it safe to handle. It may even be safe to ride in, opening up exciting new transportation possibilities.”

Pikmin 3 website

“These gelatinous creatures float above their prey and suck them up into their transparent bodies.”

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide

“The Medusal Slurker is a low-flying enemy that uses a sticky appendage to absorb any Pikmin that wander below it. When you encounter a Medusal Slurker, throw your Pikmin at the creature's soft outer shell. Rock Pikmin are particularly effective, but all Pikmin types can be used to deal with this enemy. When you defeat a Medusal Slurker, and Pikmin it managed to absorb are set free.”

Behavior

The Medusal Slurker is generally passive, usually minding its own business and floating gently above the ground, occasionally moving. However, when a leader or Pikmin approach, the Slurker will hover over where they are standing and drop its uvula-like appendage onto the ground, which expands to capture any Pikmin in its mucus-like structure. It will then suck them back into its transparent body and keep them for the rest of the day, unless the creature is defeated which will free the captured Pikmin. Unlike the similar Jellyfloats in Pikmin 2, the Slurker does not digest captured Pikmin. It also can never be grounded by Pikmin and will merely shake off Pikmin when agitated by their attacks. It can only keep a maximum of 15 Pikmin in its body, and if it already has 15, it will just fly around without attempting to use its appendage again. It will also occasionally shuffle about in its flight to indicate its pouch is full.

Strategy

The following article or section contains guides. The strategies shown are just suggestions.

To defeat a Medusal Slurker, simply throw Pikmin at its gelatinous body and quickly call them back if it looks like it is about to shake. If they aren't called back, they will be shaken off and be left vulnerable to attack by the creature's uvula. Pikmin are also shaken off whenever the Medusal Slurker flies off in any direction. This is less predictable, so you should take caution. At the same time, the Pikmin that fall to the ground can usually get up before the creature returns to abduct them. Once defeated, the green core inside the creature will explode and it will fly up into the air. After a few seconds, its corpse will fall back to the ground.

The Medusal Slurker can be defeated with 10 hits from Rock Pikmin, making an all-Rock attack on the creature a much quicker strategy. Though floating, it may also be killed by a bomb rock, if one is precisely aimed. Using a bomb rock will not directly kill Pikmin inside the Slurker, but it will set off other bomb rocks that it holds.

Technical information

Pikmin 3 technical information (?)
Internal name	jelly
HP	750
Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill	10
White Pikmin ingestions to kill	0
Bomb rock explosions to kill	1
Bomb rock ingestions to kill	0
Number of direct hits on top to kill	0
Damage to leaders	10
Territory radius	300
Mission Mode value	15

Naming

• Common name: Medusal Slurker. "Medusal" refers to medusa, a form of jellyfish in which its body looks like an upside-down plastic bag. It may also be a pun on Medusa, who had the power to turn people into stone, as the first Medusal Slurker encountered contains the first Rock Pikmin. "Slurker" likely comes from slurper, as it slurps up Pikmin, and lurker.
• Japanese nickname: トロロタラシ^?. トロロ^? is from トロトロ^? (lit.: "sticky") and タラシ^? means "dripping".
• Japanese name: シロワタトロロタラシ^?, lit.: "White Cotton Sticky Dripper".
• Scientific name: Stauromedusae manifoldii. It is derived from the real-world species also called "Stauromedusae", or the stalked jellyfish, belonging to the medusozoa subphylum (as mentioned above). Both species have umbrella-like shapes, so it's possible the Medusal Slurker was based off this species. Manifoldii may be in reference to the "manifold" shape.
• Internal names: Internally, it is called jelly, short for jellyfish.
• Prerelease: None.

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	トロロタラシ? Tororo Tarashi	Sticky Dripper
Chinese (traditional)	浮游黏液怪
French	Mégluse	Portmanteau of méduse (jellyfish) and glu (glue)
German	Klebequalle (probably a pun on the Jellyfloat from Pikmin 2, as its name in german is "Schwebequalle")	Glue Jellyfish
Italian	Medusa Vorace	Ravenous Jellyfish
Korean	끈적이떨구미
Spanish (NoA)	Viscomedusia	Portmanteau of "viscoso" (viscous) and a corruption of "medusa" (jellyfish)

Gallery

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  Locking-on to a Medusal Slurker in the E3 demo of Pikmin 3.

• 

  The Medusal Slurker that holds the Rock Pikmin in the Garden of Hope.

• 

  The Medusal Slurker using its uvula-like appendage.

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  Artwork of a Medusal Slurker containing a few Rock Pikmin.

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  A Medusal Slurker with a Juicy Gaggle.

• 

  A Medusal Slurker's corpse.

Trivia

• The Medusal Slurker is the first gelatinous enemy in the Pikmin series whose body doesn't completely dissolve after death, making it salvageable.
• The Medusal Slurker was the first new enemy fightable in the E3 2012 demo. It required 7 Pikmin to carry, whereas in the final game, the corpse only takes 6.
• If all the Pikmin are trapped by one or more Medusal Slurkers, a Pikmin extinction will occur. This is most easily seen in Mission Mode and Bingo Battle.
• Though the Medusal Slurker was one of the most advertised new enemies, it appears only twice in the Story Mode, one of which does not respawn, and once in Mission Mode (Tropical Forest Collect Treasure!) if DLC is not counted.
• If a Medusal Slurker absorbs a White Pikmin, it won't get poisoned since it doesn't actually eat them.
• The Medusal Slurker inside the cave where Rock Pikmin are found is the only non-boss enemy to trigger the boss intro musical cue. However, it triggers a milder version, the same heard when Pikmin first suffer from hazards.
• Medusal Slurkers do not spawn with objects or Pikmin inside. Those that have them spawn alongside the items and absorb them once the day starts. This can be seen if one goes to a Slurker using the KopPad's radar and checks the TV screen as soon as the day starts, as well as during the intro to Silver Lake Remix.
• The Medusal Slurker shares many traits with the jellyfloat species despite being from the umbloda family, having a similar hum-like cry that resembles the Greater Spotted Jellyfloat, and a similar means of attack, sucking up Pikmin and dissolving or absorbing them.

See also

• Luring Slurker
• Clicking Slurker
• Lesser Spotted Jellyfloat
• Greater Spotted Jellyfloat