The Full Wiki

Species 8472: Misc



Up to date as of February 02, 2010

Memory Beta, the wiki for licensed Star Trek content.

WARNING! This article contains MAJOR spoilers for the recently released website The Path to 2409. Caution is advised.
Planet of origin: Unknown, if any; Fluidic Space
Affiliation: None
Warp capable: Unknown date, organically capable
Borg Designation: Species 8472
Classification: Tripedal
Environmental requirements: Various
Sexes: Five, unknown names
Telepathic abilities: Very strong telepathic abilities
Distinctive Features:
Three legs, cross shaped pupils.

Species 8472 was the Borg desigination for a tripedal species from a realm known as Fluidic Space. They were first encountered within the Delta Quadrant by the Borg in 2373 and were also known as Groundskeepers and as the Undine.



The race originate from an extra-galactic realm known as fluidic space. The earliest known encounter with the species was in the 2370s when the Borg Collective began their failed attempt to assimilate the race.



Despite the call to return, a few members of this race were left behind some of which became prey of the Hirogen, prized as unique trophies (VOY episode: "Prey"). Another stranded 8472 found itself in another extradimensional realm, on a Borg Cube trapped within the graveyard that circled the Forge, it and its spawn were killed as part of a deal made between the Borg and the USS Voyager's Hazard team. (VOY game: Elite Force)

By 2375 groups of 8472 had returned to the galaxy where they built space station habitats that would simulate conditions within the Alpha and Beta Quadrants in an attempt to gain intelligence on the race that had defeated them. This tactic seemingly came to an end when the crew of the USS Voyager were able to convince the 8472 on one station to make peace with the Federation over the misunderstanding that all races within the galaxy had declared war on Species 8472. (VOY episode: "In the Flesh"). This was only an agreement with section of the Species 8472 population, and not all-encompassing (ST website: The Path to 2409).


This invasion was defeated by the combined alliance of the Borg stranded in the Alpha Quadrant and the Federation who ventured into Fluidic Space to destroy the Rift Maker organisms which maintained the gateways into the Galaxy (TNG game: Armada II). Whether Species 8472 wishes to continue its genocidal schemes or make peace is unknown. In 2390 the USS Enterprise was in the McAllister C-5 Nebula and detected quantum singularities that possibly indicate Species 8472 in the area. The next year, Starfleet created a task force to investigate the possible return of Species 8472. The team interviews members of the USS Enterprise and former members of the USS Voyager crew. (ST website: The Path to 2409)


In an alternate reality, the USS Voyager crew discovered that this species was still at war with different realities of the Milky Way galaxy due to the fact that their realm does not have alternate realities. The Torres Generator was used to seal the barriers between their realm and all other alternate universes. As a species, they prefer the name "Groundskeepers" to "Species 8472". (Star Trek: Myriad Universes novel: Places of Exile)



The race uses their large arms in combat with a single strike being deadly and possibly fatal to any species known, this is in part due to their amazing immune system. The race are perhaps the ultimate expression of biological perfection as they possess a near flawless immune system that attacks and destroys any form of 'infection'; both biological and technological. This was also the reason why the Borg failed in assimilating them. Species 8472 use this to their advantage in melee by physically attacking their opponents, transfering blood and immune cells to their target. Victims of such strikes can be best described as being 'eaten alive' as the immune cells from Species 8472 are transferred to its victim which begin to destroy its new 'host'. (VOY episode: Scorpion)


Their evolution in Fluidic Space seems to have given them quite a few characteristics that differ from other races one of which is them capable of surviving in the vacuum of space without any form of protection; which suggests that they do not respire as humanoids do. They do not even need to sleep for rest and find the concept very 'alien'. Another facet of their evolution is them being capable of enterting periods of hibernation when faced with injury in an attempt to heal themselves. Finally, their mastery of biology allows them to effectively poison themselves should they face capture.

The race appears to have five sexes though little else is known in this regard. (VOY episode: Someone to Watch Over Me)


Species 8472 logo in Armada II



Species 8472 utilises biological technology which seems to possess aspects of their own genetic structure. Their ships and technology are genetically engineered 'creatures' made for specific purposes whether they be stations or starships. They are capable of moving between normal space and their own fluidic realm through the use of Quantum singularities. It seems that they also do not require the 'standard' resources other races use but instead utilize Transmutators that are capable of transforming any material into useful Bio-matter which they use to gestate new organisms.


Despite this, it is known that they are vulnerable to specific Nanoprobe weapons which are designed to 'act' as part of the immune system before destroying the creature. This works equally well on both an individual member of the race and their starships due to the similarity in genetics between the two.


The following are what assets they use in space:

Behind the Scenes

Species 8472 first featured in Star Trek: Voyager in the two parter episode Scorpion whereupon they played smaller roles throughout the show. This marked their only canon involvement in the Star Trek continuity. They were later utilized as a faction as well as a story element within Armada II where they engaged in an invasion of the galaxy as well as forced the Borg to ally with the Federation in order to combat the menace.

In Christopher L. Bennett's short story Places of Exile, the race played a role where it was detailed that they lacked any parallel realities intersecting their universe and due to their invasions of the normal universe; they faced the threat of duplication of their invasion forces. This along with the activation of the Torres Generator was an attempt to explain the lack of further presence of Species 8472 in the Star Trek universe. The Boothby infiltrator also indicated that they preferred to be called "Groundskeepers" though this is not a canon name for the race.

They also feature in the backstory of Star Trek Online and were particularly involved in the Klingon storyline as being a motivating factor for their increased xenophobia. In the game, they are given the name of Undine though similar to the novel name, this is not a canon term for the race and they remain known as Species 8472 for this article.



This article uses material from the "Species 8472" article on the Memory-beta wiki at Wikia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.

ST Expanded

Up to date as of February 07, 2010


A member of Species 8472

"Species 8472" was the Borg designation for an alien race inhabiting a dimension known as "fluidic space". The USS Voyager came into contact with this species in the 2370s, during a conflict between them and the Borg in the Delta Quadrant. Of all the races known to Starfleet during the Borg's campaigns to assimilate other sentients, Species 8472 proved to be one of the toughest, successfully resisting assimilation and inflicting major damage to Borg ships and resources.

External links

This article uses material from the "Species 8472" article on the ST Expanded wiki at Wikia and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License.


Got something to say? Make a comment.
Your name
Your email address