Greater Filthag

The Greater Filthag is the mini-boss of the Petroleum Pipeline and is a larger, stronger relative of the Lesser Filthags found throughout the sub-area. This creature is enveloped in a sludgy mass of mud that allows it to collapse into a liquid state to flush off Pikmin that try to attach to it, and immediately begins to pursue Pikmin and leaders upon being awakened. As the Greater Filthag moves, its long tail, which is made of several individual segments, leaves a trail of slippery oil behind it. Pikmin directly in its line of sight are at risk of being hit by the beast's acidic breath attack, which extends a good distance away from it and melts Pikmin instantly, while Pikmin underneath it will simply be absorbed into its shambling body and die.

Because Pikmin cannot latch onto the Greater Filthag long enough to deal damage to it, the key to defeating the creature is to throw Pikmin at the muddy segments of its tail instead. Each segment has its own health bar and will break off from the Greater Filthag once it has been depleted, leaving parts of its skeletal tail bare. This must be done to each segment in order to incapacitate the Greater Filthag and leave it vulnerable to attack for a while. However, the severed tail segments will continue to move around the room and attack independently, trying to knock over and deflower Pikmin in addition to leaving an oily trail. Once the Greater Filthag recovers from being stunned, all the segments will return to its body as it awakens; the less health it has, the more tail segments it will have.

Once defeated, all the mud leaks into the floor and leaves behind the Greater Filthag's naked carcass to be hauled off.