Colo claw fish/Legends

"Argh! Colo fish! Huge-a teeth!"

- Jar Jar Binks

The colo claw fish was one of the largest and nightmarish creatures found in the depths of Naboo's seas. The body of the colo was very long and flat, with two rows of bioluminescent nodules along either side, which were used to attract prey. It was the second largest predator on Naboo, larger than the opee sea killer, beaten out in size only to the massive Sando aqua monster. They were one of several species of eel in the galaxy.

Characteristics
The colo had a long, sharp tooth-filled snout and two eyes at the end of short stalks. It has a large crocodile-like head; its fangs were venomous for subduing large prey. Two large, mandible-like appendages extended from either side of its mouth, allowing it to hold its prey in place while eating. The jaws of a colo claw fish had the ability to unhinge, which allowed it to swallow prey many times larger than its own head. Colo claw fish were usually indiscriminate feeders, swallowing anything that would fit down their throats. Their prey included young opee sea killers, which would often be swallowed alive. Unfortunately for the colos, these opees would often chew their way out their stomachs. The colo claw fish also had the ability to stun fish with an intense hydrosonic screech, allowing the colo to close in and kill it.

Their stomachs could also expand to accommodate larger prey, resulting in some colos looking bloated.

History
In 32 BBY, Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Jar Jar Binks were attacked by a claw fish, only to be saved by the timely intervention of a sando aqua monster.

Cloning of the species on Kamino resulted in the creation of the saberjowl population.

During the early stages of the Galactic Civil War, a claw fish attacked a StarSpeeder 1000 owned by the interstellar agency Star Tours while making its way through Naboo's core to the Rebel-owned airbase on the planet. Although it bit into the cockpit area, it was eventually electrocuted by R2-D2.

Behind the scenes
Concept artist Terryl Whitlatch wanted the colo claw fish to have an invertebrate look, so her early designs were based on an earwig. Later refinements incorporated crocodile and moray eel features into the design.

The colo claw fish is very similar to real-world deep sea predators, most notably the Gulper eel.

In The Phantom Menace, the colo claw fish was developed as a computer-generated creature, like all the deep sea dwellers of Naboo. Its glow was carefully added to allow the audience to see the creature in the dark caverns. Sharp-eyed viewers will notice that the colo that chases the Gungan sub is a mother protecting its young.

The digital model for the Colo Claw Fish was built by Howie Weed at Industrial Light and Magic. Originally the glowing spikes running along its back were not part of the design. Soon after the Colo was being rendered in shots the concept of adding a glowing fringe to the slug-like body was included, and then the glowing spikes were added in to complete the look.

The Ultimate Soundtrack to Episode I incorrectly calls this a giant squid i.e. "The Giant squid and The Attack on Theed"

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds
 * Episode I Adventures 9: Rescue in the Core
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace novel
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace comic
 * Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace junior novel
 * Star Tours: The Adventures Continue
 * Star Tours: The Adventures Continue