Duracrete slug

Duracrete slugs, also known simply as duraslugs, were a species of non-sentient slug found in the underworld of the planet Coruscant. They fed on the artificial stone duracrete, then after digesting it, secreted it from their bodies to form a hard outer shell. The creatures used a series of mouth tentacles to sense their surroundings and could grow up to ten meters in length.

Under their armored skin, duracrete slugs had tasty meat that was initially eaten by residents of the underworld out of necessity, before citizens of the planet's upper levels began using it and created Duraslug Rolls, a type of savory sandwich. Artiodac chef Strono Tuggs included a recipe for this in The Ultimate Cookbook between 34 ABY and 35 ABY.

Biology and appearance

The duracrete slug,^[1] also known simply as duraslugs,^[5] was a species^[1] of massive,^[4] non-sentient slug that fed on duracrete, a type of sturdy^[1] artificial stone that it could break down with its abrasive and muscular mouthpart.^[3] Though born with soft skin,^[6] the gastropod mollusks'^[4] unusual diet^[7] allowed them to digest the duracrete, then secrete it through their skin^[3] or excrete it to form a hard outer shell^[6] of armor-like skin.^[1] Underneath their unappetizing armored skin, duracrete slugs had meat that was edible to Artiodacs.^[4]

As its underdeveloped eyesight was all but useless,^[3] leaving the creature blind,^[8] the duracrete slug's main sensory apparatus^[3] was a series of tentacles around its mouth^[1] that served as feelers^[3] to sense its surroundings.^[1] The slugs also used two of their powerful mandibles to devour duracrete in large quantities.^[2] The slug's armored skin was tan in color, while its two small eyes were black. The body of an adult slug could grow up to ten meters (thirty-two feet, eight inches) in length,^[1] but they averaged between three and five meters.^[2] Each slug was covered in a series of spiked ridges that ran from the creature's mouth to its tail.^[1]

Behavior

Duracrete slugs were burrowers^[8] capable of causing much more damage than granite slugs and generally could be found in the lowest levels or foundation of a building. Within a few weeks, a single slug could cause permanent damage to a large building.^[2]

History

Urban pest

Duracrete slugs were one of several unique forms of wildlife that evolved on the planet Coruscant due to the thousands of years of urbanization that resulted in the world becoming an ecumenopolis. Adapting to incorporate the artificial into their biology, they fed on the duracrete used in the construction of buildings in the Coruscant Underworld and came to pose a threat to the area's structural stability.^[3] As most of the city's foundations was filled with duracrete, the slugs could weaken the foundations of the buildings above, causing untold mayhem and destruction and making the species a dangerous nuisance.^[8]

Occasionally, duracrete slug nests would be revealed when crumbling masonry fell away from buildings in the lower levels of the city. Hawk-bats would then descend to pick over the nest and devour the slugs in a shrieking chaos.^[9] Exterminators on Coruscant carried pest control equipment to eradicate duracrete slugs^[6] and were deployed by the city authorities in constant campaigns to keep the infestations under control.^[2]

Comparisons and mentions

During the High Republic Era, the Hutt Churo conducted research on many species in the galaxy and learned about duracrete slug anatomy.^[10] In 228 BBY,^[11] Churo was awed by the shape of the Viperi-class cargo shuttle Sarlacc's Scorn, reflecting that while he knew less about ships than duracrete slug anatomy, the vessel remained impressive to him.^[10] In 90 BBY,^[12] the Jedi Initiate Sifo-Dyas mentioned duracrete slugs while trying to convince his friend Dooku not to antagonize their fellow Initiate Arath Tarrex during a trip to the planet Serenno. Dooku later recounted the incident in a holo-letter to his sister, Jenza.^[5]

During a mission to the planet Metagos^[13] in 32 BBY,^[14] the Jedi Master Mace Windu encountered demi-slugs, a type of creature that he believed had once been similar to an outsized duracrete slug before being altered by the Great Storm of radiation that had effected the planet.^[13] Around 23 BBY,^[15] Dooku displayed a holographic data disk that detailed the events around meeting his sister, including the conversation mentioning duracrete slugs, to his recently recruited Sith assassin, Asajj Ventress. The pair listened to the recording, after which Dooku gave Ventress several more disks for her investigation into Jenza's location.^[5]

Coruscant cuisine

Shortly after some denizens of the Coruscant Underworld began to eat duracete slugs out of necessity, citizens of the planet's upper levels learned of the duracrete slug meals and began using the mollusk's meat in their food as well, resulting in the creation of the savory sandwichs known as Duraslug Rolls, which were also popular with Underworld citizens.^[4]

After publishing^[4] his second cookbook, The Life Day Cookbook,^[16] the Artiodac chef Strono Tuggs went on a culinary tour of the galaxy, during which he tried Duraslug Rolls on Coruscant, considering the slug's meat tasty.^[4] Between 34 ABY and 35 ABY,^[17] he then published the recipe for the rolls in his third cookbook, The Ultimate Cookbook, where he claimed that duracrete slugs were the main thing he thought of when thinking of Coruscant, also stating that the quality of the rolls was one of the few things that the upper and lower residents of Coruscant could agree on.^[4]

Behind the scenes

Canon and non-canon

In the current Star Wars canon, duracrete slugs were first mentioned in the "Coruscant Underworld" article in the "Guide to the Galaxy" department of the twenty-sixth issue of De Agostini's Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon magazine,^[8] which was published around July 1, 2015^[19] and written by Mark Newbold.^[20]

Later that year, on August 30,^[21] they then first appeared in the quest "Pest Control" in the Twilight of the Republic Play Set of the non-canon video game Disney Infinity 3.0. During the quest, the player encounters Senator Orn Free Taa outside the Jedi Temple on Coruscant and he asks them to eliminate as many duracrete slugs as they can as part of efforts to clean up the city in preparation for the birthday celebrations of Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine. The player must then locate and kill four duracrete slugs in the area around Dex's Diner before returning to Taa to receive further tasks.^[18]

The name duraslug was then first used in the 2019 audio drama Dooku: Jedi Lost, which was written by Cavan Scott.^[5] In the 2023 recipe book Star Wars: The Ultimate Cookbook, which was written by Jenn Fujikawa and Marc Sumerak, the out-of-universe recipe for Duraslug Rolls uses lobster meat in place of duracrete slug meat.^[4]

Origins

The species was originally created by concept sculptor Robert E. Barnes in collaboration with author David West Reynolds exclusively for use in the 2002 Star Wars Legends reference book Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary.^[22]

Barnes created a sculpture of the creature to be photographed for the book based on a sketch of a duracrete worm created by concept artist Terryl Whitlatch for the 2001 Legends book The Wildlife of Star Wars: A Field Guide. Barnes shifted the design to have armored skin rather than soft skin based on the idea of the creature exuding duracrete.^[22]

Appearances

Explore all of Wookieepedia's images for this article subject.

• The High Republic: Beware the Nameless (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)
• Mace Windu: The Glass Abyss (and audiobook) (Mentioned only) (In flashback(s))
• Dooku: Jedi Lost (Mentioned only) (In flashback(s)) (First identified as duraslug)
• Dooku: Jedi Lost script (Mentioned only) (In flashback(s))

Non-canon appearances

• Disney Infinity 3.0 (First appearance)

Sources

• Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 26 Guide to the Galaxy: Coruscant Underworld (First mentioned)
• Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
• Star Wars: The Visual Encyclopedia
• Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know, Updated and Expanded
• Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition
• Star Wars: How Not to Get Eaten by Ewoks and Other Galactic Survival Skills
• "Coruscant" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
• The Star Wars Book of Monsters, Ooze and Slime
• "The Crisis on Naboo" — Star Wars Encyclopedia
• Star Wars: The Ultimate Cookbook

Notes and references