Inmortalibus polypus; 'Immortal octopus'

  Inmortalibus polypus, commonly referred to as "ghast," is a colossal floating creature inhabiting the Nether. It displays similar traits to shellfish in the overworld, such as cuttlefish, squid, and octopus. The creature manages to float with several theorized methods, such as inflating it's air sacs with heated air with combustion glands, which force the air inside the sacs to expand and float upwards. This is a similar method to hot air balloons, and presumably alters it's altitude by releasing or holding the hot air through it's gills behind the eyes. It is also presumed it's lift is aided by the abundance of hot rising air from the lava pools they tends to float above. It has limited control over the directions it floats by waving it's tentacles, allowing it to clumsily "swim" through the air. Their haunting whines and cries are believed to be the sound of the gases escaping these gills.  
  It is believed by many that ghasts are the tormented souls of dead humans, due to their disturbingly infant-like cries and the appearance of "tears" on it's face. Upon further examination, it becomes obvious these are not actual tears, but camouflage like markings that are also found on cuttlefish.
    Ghasts are extremely territorial, as they have a tendency of attacking any intruders from the surface. Though they never have been seen hunting prey, it is assumed they hunt the same way they defend themselves. They bite of chunks of netherrack, storing it in their small stomach to grind up food. It regurgitates these rocks towards it's target with a strange system of muscles, and strikes with enough impact to leave craters spotted around it's domain. To make it's deadly attack even worse, two glands in it's mouth coat the rocks in fire just as they leave the mouth, causing even further destruction. It is easy to tell when a ghast is about to strike, as it makes a distinctive cry, inflates it's rear air sacs, and widens it's eyes.



See it in higher quality here on deviantArt: scruffy-stevie.deviantart.com/art/Ghast-430923452