Pengling

The Pengling is a small predatory fauna species and the juvenile form of the Pengwing. They are capable of being picked up by the player, and are the only non-Food creature that can be placed in an Aquarium or Seatruck Aquarium Module. They do not reproduce if placed in an Alien Containment. The player can also place them inside of a bio-reactor for 210 energy.

Appearance

The Pengling is around half the height of the Pengwing and is almost entirely white, the only visible exception being an orange and blue stripe around the edge of the flipper.

The beak is much less prominent in the Pengling and instead of the Pengwing's blue and green band, has a boomerang-shaped orange and blue marking near the tip. Its eyes are also proportionately larger.

Behavior

Penglings spend about half their time above water and the other half underwater. When above water, they stay on ice floats or other land areas with a large group of other Penglings and Pengwings and move by hopping around. They are quite unsteady on their feet and will often fall flat on their faces when attempting to move. Occasionally, Penglings will dive headfirst into the water, at which point they will swim around hunting for food. Penglings can be observed attacking and killing smaller fish while swimming.

Penglings that cannot see an adult will start to emit loud, regular cries. They will do this constantly if placed in an Alien Containment, but not if they are in an Aquarium. They will settle back down if placed close to any group of adult Pengwings, regardless of whether or not it is the group they originally came from.

Databank Entry

Young pengwings tend to huddle on dry land awaiting their next meal.

• Consume almost exclusively fish regurgitated by the adults in the huddle
• They stay to the center of the huddle to stay warm and out of the wind
• If separated from the huddle, the adults will become agitated and begin searching for their young penglings, so please don't do this!

Assessment: Harmless Source: Scan

Design

The Pengling is inspired by Earth's Penguins.

Sounds

• Call 1, Call 2
• Land death 1-3, Water death 1-4
• Land flinch 1-3, Water flinch 1-4
• Walk on ice 1-7
• Walk on snow fast 1-9, Walk on snow slow 1-9
• Equip out of water 1-3, Equip in water 1-3
• Eyeblink 1-5
• Release above water, Release underwater
• Sneeze above water, Sneeze underwater
• Unequip above water, Unequip underwater
• Hop 1-8
• Jump to land, Jump to water 1-3
• Shudder 1-3
• Slip into water
• Barrel roll 1-3
• Fast swim 1-6, Glide swim 1-5, Slow swim 1-6
• Trip

Gallery

Side view

Back view

Top view

Bioluminescence

Size comparison to the player

A Pengling swimming around the Shallow Twisty Bridges

A group of Penglings and Pengwings on an ice float

A group of Penglings in a cave in the Glacial Basin

A group of Penglings on an ice float in the Arctic

Final Pengwing and Pengling 5 design - by Alex Ries

Pengling variants - by Alex Ries

"Alien Penguin Version B" - by Alex Ries

Very early Pengwing and Pengling design - by Pat Presley

Pengling model on Sketchfab

Four Penglings and their parent

Non-Subnautica art by Alex Ries (2012), appears to have inspired the penguin's mouth

Trivia

• If the player holds the pengling long enough, it sneezes.