Etilian Floater

The Etili system is made up of three large celestial bodies orbiting a main sequence yellow dwarf star. All three planets are gas giants, and Etili Maximus was the first to be found with sentient life. Midden's dropships explored the upper levels of the gas, which was estimated to be at least two thousand miles deep, with it liquifying after that point, and solidifying not far past that. Midden's research teams discovered living organisms at several different levels of gas, each breathing and floating within their own specialized ecosystem. Deeper, the scientists found larger organisms, such as the species depicted here, which they simply dubbed the Etilian Floaters. They would always shy away from the research teams, who soon discovered that they are very sensitive to light, as it's constantly a foggy darkness at the level where these organisms thrive.

The Etilian Floaters are social creatures, living in groups of up to thirty, and using gasses stored within their upper bodies to float and maintian bouyancy. They can accelerate amazingly fast, darting away from danger and predators, although, Midden's teams were unable to find many. While resting or during dormant periods, the floaters retract their humanoid bodies up into their larger upper body section, and while in this position, are indistinguishable from their more common cousins, the "Feeders", who are simply smaller versions of themselves, lacking the anthropomorphic features.

The Floaters feed on smaller atmospheric dwellers, tiny moth-like insects and micro organisms that are filtered out of the gas through their gills. The Floater's tentacles are coated with millions of tiny hairs, one of which is capable of paralyzing an animal the size of a human easilly. They systematically retract these tentacles, and clean the organics off of them, feeding on anything that becomes attached.

About the picture...
Not all of the Etilian Floaters encountered by Midden's research teams fled when approached. The one pictured here who was nicknamed Acula, after the popular Middenian supermodel, seemed just as interested in studying the scientists and their machines as they were in examining her. Midden used several large blimp-like crafts to descend into the planet's atmosphere, and Acula seemed to take a liking to their craft and crew, and proceeded to follow then about their exploration of the planet. A few other Floaters followed her, possibly out of similar curiosity, but many of them shared the same fearues as her, and were assumed to be relatives of a sort.