Cerathecan is a crustacean lifeform found in Subnautica 2.
Infobox
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Type | Mobile |
| Species | Exile cerathecan ("the horn-cupped exile") |
| Category | Predators |
| Attitude | Passive |
| Scan Duration | 4.0s |
| Biome | Overgrown Ruins |
| Scan Tool | Bioscanner |
Appearance
Cerathecans are predominantly blue lifeforms with a body plan similar to that of seed shrimps, featuring two oval shells that can close while it cruises along the sea floor. Atop its shell is an orange-tipped horn/mantle that forms a T-shape.
When hunting, the shell opens to reveal the inside of the Cerathecan, which has a cyclops-like face with three extra eyes lining the top of its head. The mouth features six front-facing pincers for hunting. Four orange-striped tendrils grow out of the bottom side of the body and drag behind it as it swims.
Behavior
The Cerathecan can be seen patrolling the surroundings of the Overgrown Ruins. It is passive towards the Player, but will hunt for prey such as Pneumas and Hoverthorns.
It will aggravate on nearby prey and begin to chase it. When it gets close enough, it will perform a shockwave attack which stuns the creature, then proceed to grab it with its tentacles and eat it.
The Cerathecan will additionally become aggressive to other predators such as the Bullethead, or larger creatures like the Waxmoon, and stun them, but is unable to eat them.
Databank Entry
Caught script hook in allocated memory for command >> generate-databank "Cerathecan" >> echo \memory-carve -signature=0xSEABEEF5 >> restore-databank
"Our PDAs point to organisms like the cerathecan and exclaim 'behold: the road not taken'. On Earth, seed shrimp are tiny slime-dwellers; on Proteus they grow huge. But just as easy life in our decontaminated bases deafens us to the call of Proteus, easy analogies blind us to the truth. The map from Earth is not only wrong, so is its basic dogma. Evolution does not follow roads here." —Anita Gottschall, The Way Away Home
Exile cerathecan, the horn-cupped exile. A mysterious carnivore and deposit feeder with no clear Earth analog except the tiny ostracod (seed shrimp).
1. Exile
A crustacean hidden in an upright, double-valved shell, similar to an oyster or clam. The crustacean pilots the shell through a central eye and periscopic ears, and feeds with a cluster of basal tentacles. A thruster in the shell's hinge (a region called the umbo) propels it forward.
2. Behavior and diet
The cerathecan grazes on the seafloor, plucking detritus and prey from hiding places. To protect the cerathecan's body from struggling prey, the interior of the shell is lined with a paralytic neurotoxin. The cerathecan's shell muscles are themselves paralyzed by this toxin — it cannot open without secreting an antidote.
3. Perplexing genetics
There are no genes in the cerathecan's genome to produce a shell. Genetically, the cerathecan is simply a large shrimp. The shell tissues contain a partial genome, without organs to sustain an independent life. Further investigation required.
Assessment: cryptic origins. The inner shell can be sampled for chemistry when it opens to feed.
Source: Scan a Cerathecan
Gallery
In Game
 Side view of the Certhecan reaching for a bluemoon with its tentacles.
 Front view of the Cerathecan, mouth open.
 Back view of the Cerathecan.
 Top view of the Cerathecan.
 Cerathecan releasing a cloud of neurotoxins.
Trivia
- The Cerathecan bears many similarities to the Warper from Subnautica, which might have served as a potential inspiration for its design. This claim has not, however, been confirmed.
