Careersexploration-and-exobiology
Exploration and Exobiology
Exobiology rules and the colony range table, the full money species list with base and First Logged values, Stratum Tectonicas and water atmosphere hunting strategies, the exobiology and exploration scanning loops, neutron and jumponium jump range tricks, ship kit, and big trip destinations.
Verified: September 10, 2026Game: 4.4.x (Rhino SRV update)
Mostly evergreen. Species values have held since 2022. Exobiology needs **Odyssey.**
Summary
- Exobiology is the top credit earner for Odyssey players with a cheap ship.
- Top species pay 12M to 20M base. Stratum Tectonicas is about 19M.
- First Logged pays 5 times base. Be the first to turn in that species from that planet. Planets with no "First Footfall" tag are your best bet.
- Three samples per species, each far enough apart (the "colony range").
- Stratum Tectonicas lives on High Metal Content worlds with thin atmospheres.
- Water atmosphere worlds often hold several high value species at once.
- Exploration data (FSS and DSS) adds steady income on the same trip.
- Die before selling and you lose it all. Exploration and exobiology data both.
Exobiology: The Rules
Gear
Odyssey, an Artemis suit (Genetic Sampler), a Detailed Surface Scanner
Find
FSS shows how many Biological signals a planet has. The DSS map shows where the bio regions are.
Sample
Walk up to a plant. Sample it. Walk the colony range. Sample a second. Walk again. Sample a third. Done.
Colony range
The minimum distance between samples of the same species. It changes by genus (table below).
One at a time
Starting a new species before you finish one throws away the unfinished one.
Sell
Vista Genomics in a station concourse
First Logged
5 times base if you are the first to turn in that species from that planet
Death
Unsold data is lost
Colony Range by Genus
The most looked up number in exobiology.
| Genus | Colony Range |
|---|---|
| Fumerola | 100 m ⚠️ |
| Aleoida, Clypeus, Concha, Frutexa, Recepta | 150 m |
| Tussock | 200 m |
| Cactoida, Fungoida | 300 m |
| Bacterium, Fonticulua, Stratum | 500 m |
| Osseus, Tubus | 800 m |
| Electricae | 1,000 m ⚠️ |
The Money Species
Base values from Vista Genomics. First Logged pays 5 times these.
| Species | Base Value | First Logged | Colony Range | What to Know |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fonticulua Fluctus | 20,000,000 | 100,000,000 | 500 m | Highest base value. Extremely rare. |
| Stratum Tectonicas | 19,010,800 | 95,054,000 | 500 m | The workhorse. Common. High Metal Content worlds. Flat terrain. |
| Tussock Stigmasis | 19,010,800 | 95,054,000 | 200 m | Rare |
| Fonticulua Segmentatus | 19,010,800 | 95,054,000 | 500 m | Rare |
| Concha Biconcavis | 19,010,800 | 95,054,000 | 150 m | Rare |
| Stratum Cucumisis | 16,202,800 | 81,014,000 | 500 m | |
| Clypeus Speculumi | 16,202,800 | 81,014,000 | 150 m | Rocky world, CO2 or water atmosphere, over 190 K, gravity under 0.27 g, farther from its star |
| Cactoida Vermis | 16,202,800 | 81,014,000 | 300 m | Water atmosphere worlds. Flat terrain. |
| Recepta Deltahedronix | 16,202,800 | 81,014,000 | 150 m | |
| Fumerola Extremus | 16,202,800 | 81,014,000 | 100 m | |
| Tussock Virgam | 14,313,700 | 71,568,500 | 200 m | Water atmosphere worlds. Flat terrain. |
| Recepta Conditivus | 14,313,700 | 71,568,500 | 150 m | |
| Osseus Discus | 12,934,900 | 64,674,500 | 800 m | Very rugged terrain. Often on water atmosphere worlds. |
| Aleoida Gravis | 12,934,900 | 64,674,500 | 150 m | Flat terrain |
| Recepta Umbrux | 12,934,900 | 64,674,500 | 150 m | |
| Clypeus Margaritus | 11,873,200 | 59,366,000 | 150 m | |
| Osseus Pellebantus | 9,739,000 | 48,695,000 | 800 m | |
| Bacterium Informem | 8,418,000 | 42,090,000 | 500 m | Best bacterium. Flat terrain. |
| Clypeus Lacrimam | 8,418,000 | 42,090,000 | 150 m | Same planets as Speculumi, looser rules |
Skip most Bacterium. Many pay only 1M base. Scan them only if they are near your ship.
Strategy A: Stratum Tectonicas Hunting
| Clue | Target |
|---|---|
| Planet type | High Metal Content |
| Atmosphere | Thin. Mostly Sulphur Dioxide, Carbon Dioxide, or Ammonia. Sometimes Water. |
| Star | F, K, and M class stars are most likely |
| Terrain | Flat |
Land, find the dark rock-like shells, take 3 samples 500 m apart. About 19M each, about 95M on a First Log.
Strategy B: Water Atmosphere Worlds
- Rocky and High Metal Content worlds with thin Water atmospheres often stack several high value species on one planet: Cactoida Vermis, Clypeus, Tussock Virgam, and Osseus Discus.
- One player found planets worth up to about 70M in base value using Spansh searches.
- More species per landing means fewer landings.
Exobiology Loop
- 1Plot a route away from the bubble. Use the Galaxy Map filter to show unvisited stars.
- 2Honk and FSS every system. Look for bodies with Biological signals and landable atmospheres.
- 3DSS map the promising ones. Bio regions appear on the planet map.
- 4Hover over the body in the system map. No "First Footfall" tag means a likely First Log.
- 5Land close to a high value genus. The Nomad can help on rough ground (Module 5).
- 6Take 3 samples per species. Watch the colony range meter.
- 7Repeat. Sell at Vista Genomics before you take risks.
What Pays
| Body | Rough Value |
|---|---|
| Earth-like World | About 1M mapped. About 3M on a first discovery. |
| Terraformable Water World | About 1M mapped. About 3M on a first discovery. |
| Water World, Ammonia World | High |
| Terraformable High Metal Content World | Good |
| Everything else | Low. Map only if it is on the way. |
Scanning Loop
Easy route: Spansh Road to Riches. It plots systems with known high value bodies near you.
- 1Honk (discovery scan) on arrival.
- 2FSS to find every body. Look for valuable body types.
- 3DSS map only the valuable ones. Use as few probes as the target shows to earn the efficiency bonus.
- 4Sell at Universal Cartographics.
Neutron Stars and White Dwarfs
| Star | Boost to Next Jump | Warning |
|---|---|---|
| Neutron star | About 4 times your range | Fly into the jet cone to supercharge. It damages your FSD a little. |
| White dwarf | About 1.5 times your range | Riskier cone. Smaller payoff. |
| Mk II SCO FSD (Caspian only) | Bigger overcharge at neutrons (500%) and white dwarfs (200%) | Module 4 |
Use the Spansh Neutron Plotter for long trips. Carry an AFMU to fix FSD wear.
Jumponium (FSD Injection)
Synthesized from raw materials. One boost per jump.
| Grade | Boost | Recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | +25% range | 1 Carbon, 1 Vanadium, 1 Germanium |
| Standard | +50% range | 1 Carbon, 1 Vanadium, 1 Germanium, 1 Cadmium, 1 Niobium |
| Premium | +100% range | 1 Carbon, 1 Germanium, 1 Arsenic, 1 Niobium, 1 Yttrium, 1 Polonium |
Premium is the lifesaver when you are stranded. Stock the raws before a deep trip (Module 2).
Ship Kit
| Slot | Pick |
|---|---|
| Ship | Mandalay (best), Diamondback Explorer (budget), Krait Phantom, Cobra Mk V, Asp Explorer |
| FSD | Pre-engineered SCO + Mass Manager (Module 4) |
| Guardian FSD Booster | Biggest you can fit (Module 7) |
| Fuel scoop | Biggest A rated you can fit |
| Scanner | Detailed Surface Scanner |
| Shield | Small. Exobiology means many landings, and landings hurt. |
| Repair | AFMU, repair limpets |
| Surface | SRV or a Vessel Hangar for the Nomad |
| Suit | Artemis |
Gotcha: big exploration ships jump far but are a pain to land over and over. For exobiology, easy landings beat raw range.
Big Trips
| Destination | Distance From Sol | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Colonia | About 22,000 ly | Colonia Bridge megaships and starports along the way (Module 1) |
| Sagittarius A* | About 26,000 ly | The galactic core. Neutron routes help. |
| Beagle Point | About 65,000 ly | Far side of the galaxy. A rite of passage. |
Deep space Fleet Carriers run by player groups can offer repair and resupply along popular routes. Check Inara before you go.
Tools
| Tool | Where | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Spansh | spansh.co.uk | Neutron Plotter, Road to Riches, Expressway to Exomastery (bio routes) |
| Canonn Bioforge | canonn.science | Where each species has been found, with stats |
| Elite Observatory + BioInsights | observatory.xjph.net | Predicts likely species on a planet as you scan |
| EDSM and Inara | edsm.net, inara.cz | System data, discovery status |
| EDDiscovery | GitHub | Logs everything you scan |
Gotchas
- Sell before you gamble. A crash landing wipes unsold data.
- Finish one species before starting another.
- Scanned but no First Log? Someone beat you to it. Go farther out.
- The Nomad wipes your bio data if it dies.
- Neutron cones damage your FSD. Carry an AFMU.
- Near the bubble, most bodies are already logged. Go at least a few hundred ly out.
Needs Checking ⚠️
| Item | Why | Where to Check |
|---|---|---|
| Fumerola and Electricae colony ranges | Not confirmed in this pass | Fandom: Exobiology Sample Values and Details |
| Rare species conditions (Fonticulua Fluctus, Concha Biconcavis, Tussock Stigmasis) | Not pinned down here | Canonn Bioforge |
| Species values | Stable since 2022, but Frontier could rebalance | Vista Genomics in game |
| Exploration body values | Rough figures from one guide | Universal Cartographics, EDSM value estimates |
Sources
| Source | Used For |
|---|---|
| Elite Dangerous Wiki (Fandom): Exobiologist, Exobiology Sample Values and Details | 5 times First Logged rule, First Footfall tip, colony range examples |
| PMC Elite Dangerous: Exobiology (June 2025, from a Spansh data scan) | Top species list, base values, colony ranges, terrain notes |
| HerzbubeWiki: EDExobiology (July 2025) | Stratum only on High Metal Content, F K M star tendency, 5 times payout rule |
| Canonn Research Group: Stratum | Stratum Tectonicas atmosphere and body data |
| Frontier Forums: "Why do Stratum Tectonicas pay so well?" and exobiology rank guide | Clypeus Speculumi conditions, water world strategy |
| BoostRoom Credits Guide (September 2026) | Exobiology loop, 95M First Log example |
| Inara Synthesis page and Frontier Forums (2018 recipe change) | Jumponium recipes |
| Inara logbook by CMDR Hanchen | Earth-like and Water World values |
Cross links
Module 1 (Colonia Bridge)Module 2 (Raw materials for jumponium)Module 4 (PESCO, Mk II SCO)Module 5 (Mandalay, Nomad)Module 7 (Guardian FSD Booster)Module 9 (Money loops)