Arcadian skin had a very smooth texture to facilitate movement in the water and had a thick epidermis to protect against sudden temperature changes. The skin also contained chemical compounds that allowed some nourishment via photosynthesis. Skin color ranged from light blue to pale yellow.
Offspring were born live and typically measured a half-meter in length. They spent the first three to six months of their life inside a marsupial-like pouch. The young were observed to adapt easily to both land and water environments and grew to over two meters in height. Although some nourishment was derived from photosynthesis, Arcadians were omnivorous and preferred to live off of the planet's ample supply of sea plankton.
A dorsal spine was a rare physiological feature and played a part in Arcadian society.
Society and Culture Edit
Cultural development Edit
Arcadian culture was remarkably free of war as Arcadians were, by nature, pacifistic. The lack of predators on Arcadia allowed a technological society to develop based on the principles of applied physics and mathematics. However, other scientific disciplines were beginning to be understood.
Societal structure Edit
Society was based around extended groupings of like-colored individuals living in small cities of several hundred to several thousand people. These cities were found on the planet's island chains and on artificial islands capable of moving as the seasons changed. Some Federation anthropologists believed that underwater communities existed as well.
Communal living was the norm in Arcadian communities with all sharing the responsibility and care of any offspring. Federation sociologists theorized that all Arcadians shared some form of communal consciousness citing the speedy assimilation of Federation languages into the Arcadian language without translation assistance as proof.
Arcadian society, as a whole, was slightly xenophobic. Arcadians were fearful that foreign races would cause radical societal upheaval.
Curiously, no evidence of written language existed and the oral language had a very rudimentary baseline.
Government was nonexistent in the traditional sense. The closest appearance of leadership was deference to individuals possessing a rare dorsal spine.
As of 2286, two Arcadians sat among the Federation Council as associate members. Due to their xenophobic society, Federation travel visas were required and trade was restricted by order of the Federation Council.
Arcadian origins were a bit of a mystery. While certain elements indicated a long-established civilization, other elements indicated relatively recent (within the last 100 years) societal development. Some Federation anthropologists hypothesized that the Arcadians were what was left of a long-extinct parent race of unknown origin. Some believed that the race was somehow transplanted to Arcadia, perhaps by the Preservers.
After Project Genesis became public, Arcadian ambassadors, feeling morally responsible, were fervently working to ensure history was not repeated. In the process, they were also learning that they must change their xenophobic ways if they were to attain full-membership status in the Federation. (TOS reference: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update)
In the 2360s, a female Arcadian served as science officer aboard the USS Billings. The ensign was part of the away team making official first contact between the Federation and the Adegeda of Arali Prime. (ST - Waypoint comic: "The Swift Spoke")
- TOS movie: Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
- TOS reference: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update
- DS9 eBook: Rules of Accusation
- ST - Waypoint comic: "The Swift Spoke"