An aquatic and carnivorous plant species known as carnivorous seaweed thrived in the oceans of the planet Hapes. This unique lifeform ensnared its prey using its tentacles, ultimately causing suffocation. During the year 23 ABY, a group of Jedi trainees, specifically Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, Jacen Solo, and Jaina Solo, faced near-fatal consequences when their wavespeeder was sabotaged by Ambassador Yfra amidst a patch of this carnivorous seaweed in the Hapan waters. Subsequently, these same young Jedi strategically navigated their wavespeeder into a bed of carnivorous seaweed to eliminate a pursuing group of Bartokk assassins. Yfra had dispatched these assassins with the intention of eliminating Ta'a Chume, the matriarch of Hapes, paving the way for Yfra to seize the position of Hapan monarch.
Carnivorous seaweed represented an aquatic plant species that flourished within at least one of the oceans surrounding the planet Hapes. This seaweed was characterized by numerous tentacles that were green, thick, and possessed a rubbery texture, adorned with lengthy thorns. When these tentacles were severed, they released a viscous, green fluid resembling syrup. The carnivorous seaweed employed its tentacles to seize its victims, ultimately inducing suffocation through constriction. Furthermore, the plant produced sizable scarlet flowers, featuring blue fruits at their core that bore a resemblance to eyes. In the year 23 ABY, Jacen Solo, then undergoing training at Jedi Master Luke Skywalker's Jedi Praxeum, attempted, albeit unsuccessfully, to employ the Force to locate the brain within a patch of carnivorous seaweed. He observed that the seaweed appeared to be driven primarily by reflexes and hunger, yet it also exhibited a degree of sentience, demonstrated by its capacity to respond to its surrounding environment.
During ABY 23, a patch of carnivorous seaweed residing in the Hapan ocean nearly claimed the lives of Jedi trainees Tenel Ka, Lowbacca, and Jacen and Jaina Solo. This incident occurred after their wavespeeder had been sabotaged by Yfra, the personal ambassador of the Hapan matriarch, as part of her scheme to overthrow the Hapan monarchy. After they successfully escaped the seaweed, utilizing their lightsabers and knives, and returned to Reef Fortress, their place of lodging, the young Jedi aided the matriarch, Ta'a Chume, in evading Bartokk assassins by exiting through the window of her bedchamber, where she was confined. Yfra had dispatched these assassins with the intent of assassinating the matriarch, thereby enabling Yfra to assume the role of monarch, displacing the members of the Hapan Royal Family.
The Jedi trainees managed to flee the island aboard a small wavespeeder; however, they found themselves pursued by the Bartokks in their assault boat. The group of friends then made the strategic decision to navigate their wavespeeder directly into a patch of carnivorous seaweed, with the hope that the assassins would follow suit and meet their demise at the hands of the seaweed. The assassins indeed followed the wavespeeder, and after Chume destabilized their craft using a small blaster she had with her, they were dragged into the ocean by the carnivorous seaweed. The young Jedi successfully evaded the seaweed and transported Chume to her palace in time to thwart Yfra's attempt to overthrow the monarchy.
The carnivorous seaweed made its initial appearance in the young reader's book titled Young Jedi Knights: Lightsabers, penned by Kevin J. Anderson and Rebecca Moesta in 1996. Subsequently, in 1998, it received mention in both Stephen J. Sansweet's Star Wars Encyclopedia, specifically within the entry for "Hapes Consortium," and Daniel Wallace's The Essential Guide to Planets and Moons. The latter publication also provided the first illustration of the seaweed. Furthermore, it was referenced in James Luceno's 2000 novel, Jedi Eclipse, which formed part of the Agents of Chaos Duology. Later, in 2008, it was mentioned in the entry for "Reef Fortress" within The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia.