Ghalmanian



A Ghalmanian is a chameleon-like creature in Metroid: Other M. They are invisible until hit by a Missile, but can still be harmed. They primarily fight by expelling globs of yellow liquid at Samus, which she can use to identify their location. Samus is often seen attacking them with a Lethal Strike in trailers.

They are encountered many times in the game. The first instance is where she fights them in a dome-like arena surrounded by plants, and in another instance, Samus dislodges a broken Elevator to crush a Ghalmanian (crushing her as well if she does not jump into an alcove). She also fights two in the Subterranean Control Room. Several Ghalmanians appear in the Bioweapon Research Center shortly before the fight with MB, and Ghalmanians also attack Samus during the post credits sequence when Samus runs down a long hall defeating the special forces.

Trivia

 * They strongly resemble a Draconian species of Space Pirates depicted in the Samus and Joey manga.
 * Interesting to note, both their tails and tongues are twice the length of the rest of their bodies, and yet they maintain their balance perfectly.
 * The tongue of a Ghalmanian also appears to have a mechanical grappling claw affixed to the end.
 * Interestingly, the creatures seem to be carrying armor pieces on their bodies. This, along with the mentioned grappling claw on the tip of their tongues, suggest that scientists onboard the Bottle Ship added these artificial structures, possibly to turn Ghalmanians into efficient bioweapons.


 * In the first encounter with a Ghalmanian in the Bottle Ship’s Biosphere, during the cinematic, the creature uses it’s long tail to snare Samus and toss her if no action is taken by the player. However, if the 1 Button is pressed on the Wii Remote at the right moment, Samus can turn the tide on the battle by grabbing the Ghalmanian’s tail and tossing it, leaving it open for a Leathal Strike. This can easily be achieved by pressing the 1 Button rapidly during the cinematic.