An entire civilization of this creature's species once lived on the planet M-113. The creatures needed salt to survive and so were fundamentally affected when, at some point before the 23rd century, the planet lost its supply of salt. Due to the scarcity of the substance, the native civilization collapsed and the creature's species was driven to the brink of extinction. An encounter with Uhura, as a crewman drawn from her mind, also proved frustrating for it. Seconds from killing her, it was distracted by Sulu and Rand. It later murdered an engineering technician named Barnhart on Deck 9.