Dolphin (Cetacean Intelligence)
Long believed by humans to be playful marine creatures, dolphins were in fact the second most intelligent species on Earth. Left just before demolition, leaving only a parting message.
Species Dossier: The Dolphins
On the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much—the wheel, New York, wars and so on—whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man—for precisely the same reasons.
The Great Migration
- Early Warning System: For centuries, dolphins attempted to warn human beings of the impending demolition of Earth by performing elaborate double-backflips through hoops while whistling the Star-Spangled Banner.
- The Final Message: When humans merely rewarded these warnings with fish, the dolphins evacuated the planet under their own power shortly before the Vogon ships arrived, leaving behind the message: "So long, and thanks for all the fish."
The Terrestrial Intelligence Hierarchy
As confirmed in the historical records following the landing on Magrathea (Chapter 19), dolphins were officially evaluated by impartial observers as the second most intelligent life form inhabiting the planet Earth—comfortably superior to humans (who mistakenly assumed they were first, but were actually third), and subordinate only to the true planetary overseers: the pan-dimensional mice.
Dentrassi
An unruly tribe of huge, furry gourmands employed by the Vogons as catering staff on their long-haul constructor fleets. Famous as the best cooks and drinks mixers in the Galaxy, they love Vogon money, loathe the Vogons themselves, and happily smuggle hitchhikers aboard.
Hooloovoo
A super-intelligent shade of the colour blue. Contributed to the engineering of the Heart of Gold on Damogran, where it was temporarily refracted into a free-standing prism for the unveiling ceremony.