coeurl is a fictional alien race of predators created by science fiction novelist a. e. van vogt (1912–2000) and featured in his first published short story "black destroyer" (1939), later incorporated in the novel "the voyage of the space beagle" (1950). the species' appearance is comparable to a large cat, except in that its forelegs are twice as long as its hind legs, and it possesses tentacles attached to its shoulders that terminate in suction cups. its skin coloration is not mentioned (except as implied by the title), but was depicted as black in the cover art for its original magazine appearance. it sustains itself by feeding upon a substance it calls the "id" of other beings.