Space slugs, also called exogorths or giant asteroid worms, are silicon-based gastropods capable of surviving in near-vacuum conditions. Space slugs generally make their habitats in asteroids, where they spend the majority of their lives. Many space slugs have been found in Hoth's asteroid field, some reaching thousands of meters (feet) in length, up to a recorded maximum around , although most are much smaller at around . They feed by absorbing an asteroid's minerals through their roots. Smaller space slugs also devour mynocks (in large space slugs, consumed mynocks are not digested and instead become parasites within the space slug). Large space slugs may also consume starships and have been known to eat sections of Imperial Star Destroyers that flew too close. The burrow of a space slug is called a "caysh". They first appeared in "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980).