The Mollusking family consists of two known species. Attached to the backs of these large, slug-like mollusks is a frilly appendage resembling a berry or a flower bud which functions as the creatures' gills. Such an outlandish means of respiration may seem far-fetched, but a real-world order of snails and slugs called nudibranchs breathe through colorful frills on their backs.
Toady Bloyster
- Main article: Toady Bloyster.
Toady Bloysters are slug-like creatures within the Mollusking family. They creep along the ground in search of food, and upon discovering Pikmin, they emit a loud call reminiscent to that of a cow calf, then lash out with 5 to 6 adhesive pseudopodia-like tentacles. Any Pikmin hit by the tentacles stick, and are ingested if the Bloyster is not killed before it can finish "chewing." As slow as they may be, a Bloyster is capable of causing a very large and sudden drop in the number of Pikmin a Captain has at their disposal, should they be careless enough to allow the Bloyster the chance.
The best method of taking down a Toady Bloyster is simple; latch as many Pikmin as possible onto the gill-like organ protruding from its back. If a Captain is feeling bold, they may instead decide to simply barrage the Bloyster in question with Purple Pikmin. Petrifying the Bloyster and following the petrification with a headlong assault works just as effectively as either of the two aforementioned methods, but is recommended if a Captain's Pikmin count is especially low, or if a Captain wishes to minimize any chances for casualties.
A single Toady Bloyster spawns in the Perplexing pool, and tends to rove around the shallows near the entrance to the Shower Room. When defeated, it typically drops two 10-Pellets in addition to the gill-like organ on its back, which is worth 25 Pikmin at any onion. Entering any of the caves in the level will trigger a respawn, making this Bloyster a very low-risk method of spawning large amounts of Pikmin in a short amount of time, potentially 45 Pikmin per Bloyster defeated.
In Challenge Mode, Toady Bloysters can be found in slightly larger numbers in the Giant's Bath.
Ranging Bloyster
- Main article: Ranging Bloyster.
The Ranging Bloyster is a large form of the Toady Bloyster, named for its longer tentacle mouthparts and bigger size. This creature is difficult to beat because it tracks your active pilot. Whatever color your captain's antenna beacon is, the eyes and tail of the Bloyster will change that color, also a different sound is made for each color (red and blue), letting you know it is after you. The best way to beat it is to lead one of the pilots behind the creature and then take the other pilot with Purple Pikmin (if applicable) while the Bloyster faces the divertive pilot and start throwing them on its back or tail while the Bloyster can't face you. If it turns your way, switch to your pilot leading the diversion and wait for the Bloyster to face him again, then switch to your attack squad and repeat if necessary, eventually, you should take the annoying beast down. The Ranging Bloyster has a particular interest in lights and shiny objects, which is why it will chase after your pilots' light beacons.