Sarisa's Koopa Klassification

[Sarisa]

This is my Koopa classification list, based on Walkazo's work.

Order Koopiformes - all Koopas
Family Cantharidae - Spikes and Buzzies

Cantharidae was presumably the first branch of Koopadom to separate from the main tree, as all cantharids have retained the ancestral turtle trait of walking on four legs. Surprisingly, some have developed intelligence.

Genus Cassis
Cassis custos, Spike Koopa
Cassis erecta, Spikey, Spikester, Oerlikon
Chimera
+Shroobicassis, Spiny Shroopa
Genus Sudis
Sudis glaciei, Ice Spiny
Sudis leguminiensis, Sharpea
Sudis nubiferi, Spiny
S. n. nubiferi, Common Spiny
S. n. umbra, Dark Spiny
Genus Cantharis
Cantharis alata, Parabuzzy
Cantharis alexipyra, Buzzy Beetle
Cantharis apoda, Para-Beetle
Cantharis gravis, Heavy Parabeetle
Cantharis lapidea, Stone Buzzy
C. l. lapidea, Common Stone Buzzy
C. l. umbra, Dark Stone Buzzy
Cantharis mixta, Spiky Parabuzzy
Cantharis sudis, Spike Top
C. s. commutabilis, Socket-Backed Spike Top
C. s. sudis, Common Spike Top
C. s. umbra, Dark Spike Top
Genus Mollitesta
Mollitesta lapidator, Buster Beetle
Genus Displosura
Displosura cantharis, Noko Bombette

Family Koopidae - Bowser and his relatives

Koopidae is currently a wastebasket taxon. In other words, it's where I classify large, bipedal Koopas that don't fit in anywhere else. Most have similar face structure and abilities, so they might be related.

Genus Koopa
Koopa magnificens, Bowser's species
Koopa minor, Koopa Kid
Genus Pugil
Pugil acornatus, Boom-Boom
Pugil femininus, Pom-Pom
Genus Incendiarius
Incendiarius corpulentus, Sumo Bro.

Family Fustidae – Clubbas and Spikes

Fustids are not always recognized as Koopas, since they have lost their plastrons and outgrown their carapaces. Most fustids use spiked balls as weapons, hinting at a connection to the Lakitus.

Genus Fustis
Fustis fustis, Clubba
F. f. fustis, Common Clubba
F. f. nivalis, White Clubba
F. f. umbra, Dark Clubba
Fustis major, Great Spiked Clubba
Genus Vomitor
Vomitor minor, Spike
V. m. nivalis, Snow Spike
V. m. minor, Green Spike
Vomitor labiosus, Gabon
Vomitor leguminiensis, Tolstar's species

Family Talpidae - Rocky Wrenches

Rocky Wrenches are hard to place, as they show affinities with both Clubbas and Troopa-like Koopas.
Rocky Wrench specimens seen recently lack the shell that is a defining characteristic of Koopiformes; they appear to be mammals in the same genus as the Monty Mole Talpa subsidens.

Genus Talpa
Talpa instrumenti, Rocky Wrench

Family Nubiferidae - Lakitus

This branch of the Koopas took to the sky in clouds, probably before nokonokids developed wings. How they developed their relationship with Spinies is unknown.

Genus Nubifer
Nubifer fulguralis, Thunder Lakitu
Nubifer leguminiensis, Lakipea
Nubifer nubifer, Lakitu
Nubifer sarasalandiensis, Roketon
Chimera
+Shroobinubifer, Lakitufo

Family Lusoridae – Chargin' Chucks and Amazing Flyin’ Hammer Bros.

Lusoridae is another wastebasket taxon. Both species in it are native to Dinosaur Land and have some similarity, but they might belong elsewhere.

Genus Lusor
Lusor harpasti, Chargin' Chuck
Genus Pulpitovector
Pulpitovector volans, Amazing Flyin’ Hammer Bro.

Family Nokonokidae – Koopa Troopas and allies

Nokonokidae, the beaked Koopas, is by far the largest family in the order Koopiformes; nearly one-half of all Koopa species belong to this family and well over one-half the living Koopas. If you think "Koopa", your mental picture is almost certainly Nokonoko nokonoko.

Subfamily Jaculatorinae
Genus Chloroderma
Chloroderma taediferum, Limbo Bro.
Chloroderma piliferum, Chomp Bro.
Chloroderma scholasticum, Yo Bro.
Genus Jaculator
Jaculator ignifer, Fire Bro.
J. i. glaciei, Ice Bro.
J. i. ignifer, Common Fire Bro.
J. i. umbra, Dark Fire Bro.
Jaculator leguminiensis, Beanish Boomerang Bro.
Jaculator major, Sledge Bro.
Jaculator malleorum, Hammer Bro.
J. m. malleorum, Common Hammer Bro.
J. m. recursantium, Boomerang Bro.
J. m. umbra, Dark Hammer Bro.
J. m. voraginis, Dark Boomerang Bro.

Subfamily Maginae
Genus Magus
Magus magus, Magikoopa
M. m. magus, Common Magikoopa
M. m. umbra, Dark Magikoopa

Subfamily Nokonokinae
Genus Bombus
Bombus sarasalandiensis, Nokobon
Genus Chamaeleo
Chamaeleo longilingua, Koopeleon
C. l. longilingua, Common Koopeleon
C. l. aureus, Gold Koopeleon
Genus Nokonoko
Nokonoko cloacae, Shellcreeper
Nokonoko leguminiensis, Troopea
Nokonoko major, Gargantua Koopa Troopa, Ankoopa
Nokonoko nokonoko, Koopa Troopa
N. n. nokonoko, Common Koopa Troopa
N. n. umbra, Dark Koopa Troopa
Genus Patapata
Patapata (Quadrupes) leguminiensis, Paratroopea
Patapata (Quadrupes) major, Colossal Koopa Paratroopa
Patapata (Quadrupes) quadrupes, Sky Troopa
Patapata (Patapata) patapata, Koopa Paratroopa
P. p. patapata, Common Paratroopa
P. p. umbra, Dark Paratroopa
Genus Clavitesta
Clavitesta electrica, Electro-Koopa
C. e. caerulea, Blue Electro-Koopa
C. e. rubra, Red Electro-Koopa
Clavitesta major, Green Electro-Koopa
Ovomimus litoris, Snooze-A-Koopa
Genus Calcitrator
Calcitrator testae, Koopa Striker
C. t. testae, Koopa Striker, Toopa Striker, Soopa Striker
C. t. umbra, Dark Striker

Species count:
54 total
20 common (appeared in more than one game)
13 intelligent (demonstrated in-game)

[kingkoopa]

That is really good, maybe you should make another family for the Koopa Troopas

[Artemendo]

This all looks very good, but why is Mad Spike Top a distinct species? It's a normal Spike Top infused with the magic of the Vibe Scepter, as are all the other "mood" enemies in SPP. I doubt it's a "species"... probably the effect wears off and they can become infused with another mood entirely. Or do you think Mad Spike Tops can only mate with other Mad Spike Tops and their offspring is also always mad?

[kingkoopa]

Considering that "calm" enemies can turn into regular ones, I don't think that the vibe influence changes the species.

[Sarisa]

Mad Spike Tops show the ability to extend their spikes, which other Spike Tops don't have. That seems like enough for a subspecies.

[Artemendo]

Aug 17, 2010 18:21:32 GMT -5 kingkoopa said:

Considering that "calm" enemies can turn into regular ones, I don't think that the vibe influence changes the species.

This, and the normal Spike Tops may very well have that ability, but need to be abnormally angry to be driven to using it.

[kingkoopa]

Lime he said, you can't know if they do have that ability because Spike Tops have never been angered enough at Mario to use their full strength

[EpicGyllynn]

*Like

[kingkoopa]

Thanks

[Sarisa]

Good points. I've deleted the Mad Spike Top.

[EpicGyllynn]

@kk
You aren't Mad, are you?

[PDoogan]

This is nifty! But I don't see hammer/sledge bros on that list. Are you referring to them as troopas?

[SMBBQ]

Wow, this is really cool. You'll fit right in here.

[Sarisa]

It's completely posted. Criticize at will.

[SMBBQ]

It's very well written, and you didn't seem to leave anything out. I'm impressed.

[Artemendo]

Yep, pretty amazing there! But, one question: why do you think Sumo Bro doesn't fit in with the other Bros? For me, it's something between a Sledge Bro (in size) and a Fire Bro (in power).

[Sarisa]

The shell and the face of the Sumo Bro aren't like any other shells and faces in the entire beaked Koopa group. Their shells are monochrome black rather than hexagon-patterned and they have fat cheeks and lips rather than a beak. And they don't attack like Hammer Bros either; they don't throw projectiles horizontally, they project fire downwards.

I'm not quite sure where they do go, but they don't belong with the Hammer Bros.

[Sarisa]

It's now 2012 and my list is rather out of date; it has been updated.

1. I added Pom-Pom, as Pugil femininus. I wanted to consider Pom-Pom the female of the Boom-Boom P. acornatus, but we don't have good evidence.

2. The Rocky Wrench is in an increasingly difficult situation. SMB3's Rocky Wrenches are indisputably Koopas, even if they are hard to place. However, later games have an enemy called the "Rocky Wrench", basically identical in behavior and appearance, except missing the shell; a Rocky Wrench without a shell looks like the sister group to Monty Moles, in an entirely different order! Do both exist, or has the SMB3 Rocky Wrench evolved into the modern mammal?

[PDoogan]

Jan 26, 2012 20:58:35 GMT -5 Sarisa said:

It's now 2012 and my list is rather out of date; it has been updated.

1. I added Pom-Pom, as Pugil femininus. I wanted to consider Pom-Pom the female of the Boom-Boom P. acornatus, but we don't have good evidence.

2. The Rocky Wrench is in an increasingly difficult situation. SMB3's Rocky Wrenches are indisputably Koopas, even if they are hard to place. However, later games have an enemy called the "Rocky Wrench", basically identical in behavior and appearance, except missing the shell; a Rocky Wrench without a shell looks like the sister group to Monty Moles, in an entirely different order! Do both exist, or has the SMB3 Rocky Wrench evolved into the modern mammal?

1. But we don't have any evidence she's not a boom-boom female either...

2. Maybe they just wore a shell to show their alliance to the koopa klan.

3. Welcome back!

[Sarisa]

Re: Pom-Pom, the whole classification is very "splittist", to use a linguistics term. In other words, if something looks like it could be another species, it's filed as such. A "lumper", someone who tries to lump similar things together (or a Mario fan who hasn't seriously contemplated classification), would fuse my genera into single species. That's what tipped the balance for me.

Come to think of it, there weren't any enemy mammals back in 1989, were there? Enemy reptiles, fish, plants, and unearthly life forms, but no mammals. Monty Moles were the first. To me, though, it's more a question of canonicity; how similar is similar enough for a retcon? I'm leaning towards the evidence being good enough and moving the Rocky Wrench to the mammals.

Also, are there any Koopas I forgot? I tried to catch up on new enemies (very few new Koopas!) but I could have overlooked some.