While the extremely corrosive fluids and tremendous resilience displayed by the creature might suggest an exotic kind of biochemistry, the fact that the Xenomorph not only feeds on Humans, but actually develops inside them, strongly suggests that its biology is carbon-based. This substance is dull yellow in color and often referred to as 'blood', although whether it's used to transport nutrients through the body and/or serves principally as a defensive mechanism is not clear. They also bleed an unknown and extremely corrosive fluid. This mouth is somewhat similar to the pharyngeal jaw of a moray eel.

Little is known about their biology, but it is known that they eat with their inner or secondary mouths, not their outer mouths. This parasite then consumes parts of the host from within and violently emerges from the host's chest cavity as a worm-like creature (grotesquely christened as the chestburster), which will quickly scurry away to find a safe place where it can molt and complete its metamorphosis into an adult Xenomorph, which happens, surprisingly enough, over the course of mere hours.Īdult Xenomorphs tend to share some common traits: a invertebrate-like body, including a protective dark exoskeleton, a long flexible tail, an elongated domed head and a toothed mouth hiding a secondary, extendable, proboscis-like inner maw. Its ability to incorporate genetic material from its host, coupled with the existence of numerous mutations and deviations which have originated naturally or artificially makes the Xenomorph one of the most phenotypically diverse organisms in the galaxy.Ī typical Xenomorph begins its life cycle as an egg-like creature (known as an ovomorph or simply egg) which, when detecting the presence of a potential host, opens up to release the second stage: a small arachnid-like life form (named the facehugger) which launches itself onto the host's face and impregnates it with an endoparasitoid larva. 5.4 Mutations and artificial Xenomorph speciesĪ Xenomorph's physical appearance can vary widely depending on its life stage, hive, caste, age, and host.

Xenomorph prestige kin