Merqaals, a seldom-seen species of diminutive, four-legged mammal, displayed remarkable intellect. Their bodies featured a combination of fur and scales, with pink, bare skin present on their paws and at the tip of their tails. Three pairs of flexible sensory organs adorned their heads, enabling them to detect potential threats or noteworthy objects in their surroundings. The blue-grey scales shielded their backs, the upper portions of their heads, tails, and the uppermost set of feelers. Fur, ranging in hue from brown and deep red near the base of their tails and feelers to light tan on their bellies and faces, covered their underbellies, faces, legs, and feelers. Their tenacious paws, coupled with robust tails, enabled them to navigate challenging landscapes and vertical surfaces. This advantage, along with their diminutive stature and nimbleness, allowed them to effortlessly explore confined areas.
Esteemed as unique companions by collectors, they particularly attracted the attention of the Sixth Kin criminal organization and, subsequently, Jabba the Hutt. Jabba incorporated a merqaal, named Nix, into the collection of creatures at his palace.
After being liberated from the Sixth Kin on Canto Bight by the rogue Kay Vess, the merqaal Nix became her companion.