floaters are flatworms mutated as an offshoot of the West Tek F.E.V experiments Floaters are known to be friendly toward super mutants and behave almost as companions, similar to the role of mutant hounds or Centaurs. Some floaters that encountered super mutants in the wilderness even began to follow the roving gangs. As the floaters showed no hostility, the super mutants kept them around as attack animals and companions.

Biology

Floaters are large, soft-bodied invertebrate, named after the flotation sacs that allow them to hover in the air. Noxious, flammable gases are generated by the creature and stored in the large flotation bladders atop their heads, giving the creature its distinctive appearance and ability to hover. Floaters have a single mouth consisting of an upper jaw and two large mandibles, each lined with sharp teeth. A remarkably long tongue is kept folded in the mouth. When attacking, the tongue unfurls and shows that its length is roughly the same as the rest of floater's body. the  position of the creature's mouth varies either lying on the front of the body or horizontally on the head.

Above the mouth is a large, singular eye with eyelids capable of blinking and squinting. Multiple smaller eyes are dotted around the head, although only two others are capable of independent rotation. Each floater variant has a different eye color and pupil shape. Gnashers have bright green eyes with cross-shaped pupils, flamers have yellow eyes with vertical rectangular pupils, and freezers have bright blue eyes with thin, horizontal rectangular pupils.

The main body is conical, with a thick torso tapering into multiple tentacles that wrap around the central tentacle. Two squid-like tentacle "arms" extend from the sides of torso and reach down roughly half the body length. A single tentacle, denoted the tail, protrudes from the back of the main body. The torso and limbs are covered with groups of pulsating growths called pus sacs that are used to store volatile chemicals used in combat.

The head consists of a single balloon-shaped flotation sac mounted above the eyes. A central ridge of hard material runs along the top of the head. The sac continually pulsates, expanding and contracting as the floater hovers. Similar to the growths seen on the body, the vein-covered head emits a glowing radiance easily seen in the dark.

When killed, floaters bring their arms to their head and emit a loud shriek as the flotation sac violently expands. Upon rupturing, the explosion spreads volatile entrails in a circular radius, leaving a lingering pool of pus for a short duration.

Floaters primarily hunt using ambush tactics, burrowing beneath the ground and lying in wait for prey. They leave their long tongues sticking out of the dirt and emit a bright, colorful mist to attract curious prey. When provoked, the floater leaps out from under the ground with its mouth gaping open in an attempt to intimidate and startle the prey.