Starnacle

Starnacle
	File:Starnacle Hey Pikmin.jpg
Appears in	Hey! Pikmin
Scientific name	Tripodidae asterias
Family	Shellusk
Areas	Pollution Pool
Attacks	Extend harmful arms

The Starnacle (タコヒトデ^?, lit.: "Octopus Starfish") is a rare octopus-like enemy in Hey! Pikmin. It has three equally-spaced pink tentacle-like arms and a large green eye on its main body. Its eye closes and its arms retract when the eye is hit with a Pikmin. It is found frequently in the waters of Pollution Pool, where its arms act as an obstacle to the player and their Blue Pikmin.

Behavior

The Starnacle's only purpose is to block underwater passages. Aside from that, it doesn't do anything and is harmless. When a Pikmin is thrown at its eye, it will retract its tentacles, leaving enough room for Olimar and his Pikmin to avoid the creature and keep going in the passage.

Locations

Ravaged Rustworks
- Pollution Pool: This is the only area that they are found in. They mostly serve as enemies to avoid in the water sections, along with Puckering Blinnows and Young Yellow Wollywogs. They also serve as blockages so Olimar can't enter certain areas without the Blue Pikmin necessary to defeat them.

Strategy

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

There is no way to defeat this enemy; however, it can be stunned for a certain amount of time by simply throwing a Blue Pikmin right into its eye. Once done, it will retract its arms and allow passage until it extends them again.

Notes

Hey! Pikmin logs

“This mollusk-like creature's arms are long like an octopus's but tough like a starfish's. They withdraw when struck. The S.S. Dolphin II says he gets anxious at the sight of it, but I know better: those thin, gossamer arms are a real delicacy when properly prepared.”

Naming

See more: Shellusk_family#Naming.

The name Starnacle is derived from "star" and "tentacle", although it can also be a combination of "star" and "barnacle". Its Japanese name, タコヒトデ^?, simply translates to "Octopus starfish", referring to two aquatic creatures with long arms.

Tripodidae asterias is its scientific name. Asterias is a real-world genus for the Asteriidae family of sea stars. Although, here it is used as the species name rather than the genus. This could be a mistake, but this is not confirmed (though similar cases in Hey! Pikmin's logs may indicate it is).

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Dutch	Octopok
French	Étentacule	This name is a portmanteau of étendre (stretch), and tentacule (tentacle)
German	Gemeiner Schlingstern	Common Knotstar
Italian	Polpofiore	Octoflower
Spanish	Estelárido