Elasto-Piranha

Elasto-Piranhas (Japanese: ドカンパックン Dokan Pakkun) are a sub-species of Piranha Plant that have elastic stems which can extend and contract; they appear in the game Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time. This variety of Piranha Plant lives in Toadwood Forest. Elasto-Piranhas have developed a clever survival mechanism: they disguise themselves in Warp Pipes, attacking unsuspecting adventurers who venture near their pipes.

In battle, an Elasto-Piranha attacks by first extending its elastic stem to the sky, placing its head high above the ground. Next, the Elasto-Piranha shoots fireballs from high in the sky at its enemies down on the ground. Fortunately these fireballs can be jumped over, but it takes careful timing to do so. After attacking, the stem contracts, allowing the Piranha Plant to hide in its pipe. Every attack the player uses on the side of the pipe will only deal 1 damage each to the Elasto-Piranha, however attack or jumping on the top of the pipe will deal a decent amount of damage. Elasto-Piranhas have short arms and legs, which they can use to pick up their pipes and move around on the ground. As such, the height and ground position of an Elasto-Piranha continually varies throughout a battle, meaning the time it takes for a fireball to reach an enemy on the ground also changes. To determine who it attacks, the neck will stretch to the top of the top screen if it was hitting Mario and halfway at the top screen if it was hitting Luigi.

Trivia

 * The way it attacks is similar to Venus Fire Traps.
 * Elasto-Piranhas are similar to Stalking Piranha Plants.