▁are ▁a ▁fict ional ▁al ien ▁species ▁in ▁the ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁universe . ▁ ▁They ▁were ▁conce ived ▁by ▁screen writer ▁David ▁Ger ro ld , ▁and ▁first ▁appeared ▁in ▁a ▁ 1 9 6 7 ▁episode ▁titled ▁" The ▁Tr ouble ▁with ▁Trib bles ". ▁They ▁are ▁dep icted ▁as ▁a ▁small , ▁fur ry , ▁gentle , ▁attract ive , ▁and ▁slow - mov ing ▁but ▁rapidly ▁reprodu cing ▁lov able ▁species . ▁ ▁Though ▁they ▁appear ▁inf re qu ently ▁on - screen , ▁they ▁have ▁become ▁a ▁popular ▁feature ▁of ▁the ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁universe , ▁featuring ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁e pon ym ous ▁official ▁card ▁game , ▁and ▁even ▁l ending ▁their ▁name ▁to ▁a ▁conser ved ▁family ▁of ▁prote ins ▁ ▁that ▁was ▁first ▁identified ▁in ▁the ▁fruit ▁fly ▁as ▁a ▁reg ulator ▁of ▁cell ▁division . ▁ ▁Represent ation ▁Trib bles ▁were ▁first ▁shown ▁in ▁an ▁episode ▁of ▁the ▁second ▁season ▁of ▁the ▁original ▁series , ▁" The ▁Tr ouble ▁with ▁Trib bles " ▁( 1 9 6 7 ). ▁ ▁They ▁have ▁appeared ▁in ▁several ▁subsequent ▁series , ▁in ▁brief ▁appearances ▁in ▁four ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁films , ▁and ▁in ▁video ▁games ▁such ▁as ▁Star ▁Tre k : ▁Arm ada ▁II . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Star ▁Tre k ▁canon , ▁trib bles ▁are ▁native ▁to ▁the ▁planet ▁I ota ▁Gem in orum ▁IV . ▁While ▁they ▁appear ▁as ▁small ▁bund les ▁of ▁fur ▁with ▁no ▁other ▁visible ▁features , ▁they ▁do ▁produce ▁co o