Volus

The volus are an associate race on the Acropolis with their own embassy, but are also a client race of the Angara. They hail from Irune, which possesses a high-pressure greenhouse atmosphere able to support an ammonia-based biochemistry. As a result, the volus must wear pressure suits and breathers when dealing with other species.

Because they are not physically adept compared to most species, volus mostly make their influence felt through trade and commerce, and they have a long history in the Federation. However, they have never been invited to join the Council, which is a sore point for many Volus individuals.

Biology
The volus homeworld Irune features an ammonia-based ecology and a gravitational field 1.5 times that of Earth, as well as a high-pressure atmosphere. This is reflected in the physiology of the volus themselves. The volus are unable to survive unprotected in an atmosphere more suitable to humans and other carbon-based lifeforms, and as such require protective suits capable of providing the proper atmosphere, as well as being pressurized to support the volus. Traditional nitrogen/oxygen air mixtures are poisonous to them, and in the low pressure atmospheres tolerable to most species, their flesh will actually split open.

As the volus are never seen outside of their protective suits, little else is known about their appearance and physiology. It has been noted; however, that volus have cloacae, a trait they share with the Salarians. Their saliva looks coppery-blue under standard environments, and they're capable of spitting said fluid. Some volus individuals have also shown themselves capable of using the Way.

Despite individuals distinctly sounding like males or females to Human listeners, volus genders are apparently a mystery as well. The volus themselves consider the question both intrusive and hilariously irrelevant. With little else to go on, people simply assign an arbitrary gender value on a volus based on what they sound like.

All volus contract the disease Yoqtan during childhood. Considered a rite of passage, its symptoms are easy to alleviate and it only kills the weakest children.