Skultera

is an aggressive species of fish that appears in various Metroid games.
==Description==
These creatures are native to Zebes, and are mostly encountered in the planet's underground oceans of Maridia. They can also be seen in the pools of water from Crateria near and in the Wrecked Ship, such as the flooded cavern. In Super Metroid, they can also be found in one room in Brinstar. If Samus Aran approaches them, they will home in on her and attack her.
An untold number of Skulteras were captured and brought to the Biologic Space Laboratories research station, but were later infected and/or mimicked by X Parasites during the events of Metroid Fusion. Other than changing their blue color to orange, the X have made no modifications to the Skulteras' performance. However, if a Skultera swims near a free-floating X Parasite, the latter would immediately combine with the former to create an unnaturally larger Skultera. The small ones can be defeated by rapid fire, but the larger ones have a thick bone growth on their heads, and are only vulnerable to fully charged beams or Missiles. An X released from the remains of either Skultera variant can fuse with a nearby infected/mimicked Zebesian to form the Aqua Zebesian; this is due to the X's ability to carry, modify and combine the DNA of their victims.
Curiously, the large Skulteras featured in Fusion returned in the later released prequel Metroid: Zero Mission as standard, Skulteras from Zebes. Despite being larger than those seen in Super Metroid, these fish are actually quite weaker than all other variants encountered in games chronologically following Zero Mission's events.
Skulteras appear once again in Metroid: Other M, in their first 3D appearance. They were first confirmed in pages of an interview in the Japanese magazine Famitsu. They swim around various flooded areas of the Cryosphere and Biosphere (such as the water-filled tank and room) and can latch onto Samus and gnaw on her. If Samus leaves the water while pursued by a Skultera, there is a chance it will leap after her and flop around on the dry ground. The game's concept art identifies the creature as an Gallery Mode, as translated by Metroid Database.
==Official data==
===Super Metroid manual===
;SKULTERA
:"These creatures are fish with bony frames and joints that rotate mechanically."
===Super Metroid Nintendo Player's Guide===
SKULTERA
===Metroid: Other M Art Folio===
====Aquatic Dangers====
"Many of the Bottle Ship areas were intentionally flooded and my reconnaissance of them nearly proved to be fatal. Schools of Skulteras attacked me at every turn, and the liquid environments slowed my movements to a crawl. Fortunately, the Power Suit's air supply made breathing the one thing I didn't need to worry about."
===Metroid: Other M Premiere Edition===
;Low-Level Enemies (p. 9)
:Skulteras
:"When it comes to adventuring underwater, there aren't many enemies more annoying than the Skultera. These aquatic killers resemble piranha fish, but have razor-sharp fins and even sharper teeth. While underwater, look for Skulteras to lazily swim around you, but don't be fooled. As soon as they see the opportunity, they dart at you and slice chunks of Energy clean off your Energy bar. A few Beam blasts gets the job done, but use Charge Beam shots instead to get rid of them quickly."
===Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid Other M===
"Swimming around in the water, Skulltetras are fish-like creatures. When gathered together they will attack at once, so try to defeat them all one at a time."
==Trivia==
*In Metroid Prime, dead and frozen fish resembling Skulteras can be seen in the Phendrana Drifts region. An unused scan image and script file indicates these inactive fish were initially planned to have a larger role.
*Skulteras are only found in a single room in Metroid: Zero Mission.
*In the internal data of Super Metroid, Skultera are simply referred to as Fish.
*There is a single orange Skultera in Super Metroid, in the Brinstar access shaft located in Maridia, looking similar to their later X infected appearance in Metroid Fusion, albeit with green eyes instead of yellow.
==Gallery==
Super Metroid The Official Nintendo Game Guide - Maridia.jpg|Super Metroid: The Official Nintendo Game Guide
Super Skultera Sprite.png|Skultera (Super Metroid)
File:Brinstar access shaft.png|The unique orange Skultera in Super Metroid.
Skultera-x.jpg|Skultera (Metroid Fusion)
Fusionskultera.gif|Animated Skultera sprite (Metroid Fusion)
Fusion BigSkultera Sprite.png|Large Skultera (Metroid Fusion)
MZM Skultera.gif|A Skultera in Crateria in Zero Mission
Skultera.png|Samus being attacked by Skulteras in Metroid: Other M.
OtherM Skultera Ground.png|A Skultera above water.
Skulterart.png|Other M Gallery Mode concept art.
JP Other M Guide 159.jpg|Nintendo Official Guidebook for Metroid Other M pg. 159
==References==
es:Skultera
ru:Скултера
it:Skultera
Category:Species
Category:Zebes
Category:Crateria
Category:Maridia
Category:BOTTLE SHIP
Category:Biosphere
Category:Cryosphere
Category:X
Category:BSL
Category:Sector 2
Category:Sector 4
Category:Sector 5
Category:Sealife
Category:Recurring Species