Species 8472

Species 8472 are undoubtedly one of the most unusual organic life forms ever encountered by the Federation. Their origins lie in 'fluidic space' - a higher dimension that is apparently composed liquid rather than the empty space of our own universe. 8472 are the only species in their dimension, and had no conception of other life forms until the Borg invaded their territory. Unfortunately - for the Borg - species 8472 have an incredibly efficient immune system; any form of biological or technological intrusion into their tissue is instantly rejected and destroyed. This renders them immune to Borg nanoprobes, and hence incapable of assimilation. In addition, their dense structure is highly resistant to many forms of energy such as transporters and weapons.
Species 8472 are tripodal creatures with a gray-green skin. Their bodies appear to be nearly three meters tall when fully extended. The creatures walk in a crouched over position on three legs, and sometimes crawl using all five limbs. Their heads are an elongated conical shape, with widely spaced golden eyes that have an unusual cross-shaped pupils. Parts of their skeletal structure are barely concealed by muscle tissue. Their necks for example apear to have "holes" around the spinal column. This could explain the extreme flexability the creatures display. They are also incredibly strong as witnessed by their ability to rip trough bulkheads and fight off humanoids with incredible ease. The creatures move quickly, bobbing up and down as if in their native liquid environment even when they are in our universe. They are, however able to survive the normal vacume of space as well as in artifical enviroments found on spacecraft.
SocietyEven less is known about the culture and philosophy of species 8472. In the one known telepathic contact with them the message 'the weak shall perish' was transmitted; although worrying given their numbers and level of technology, the outlook of a whole species can hardly be judged from one contact with one individual. For the moment contact with 8472 has been broken off after their retreat back into their own space at the end of the war with the Borg.