Orca Skin is the trade name for a 'living plastic' product that has seen rapid uptake into the space and protective equipment markets, named for its resemblance to the rubbery epidermis of cetacens; it consists of a colony of engnieered bacteria in a polymer matrix, much like that found in mammalian bone tissue (but softer). When supplied with sugars, oxygen, and trace elements, orca skin will actually heal - despite this, it's easy to work with and to fix a desired shape; a fast but hot heat-treatment will melt the plastic around the bacterial cells in a thin (<1mm) sufrace layer, creaking a 'skin' in which the bacterial cells have encysted and become dormant. Damage will allow them renewed access to the material's reserves, allowing healing to begin within minutes.

More advanced Orca Skin products such as this pressure suit allow the symbiotic bacteria to be refueled; in this case, eukaryotic cells have been introduced to deeper layers for additional protection and functionality -- musculoid cells provide power-assist, while an adipose tissue (fat) analog stores energy in the form of cubane suspension and oxygen via respirocyte. Heat treating was mentioned earlier; the inclusion of such high energy batteries requires that they do not reach combustion temperature; such an event would first cause deflagration, then detonation. It is to the suit's credit that it must be blasted with an extremely intense near-infrared light source to reach fixation temperature; such emissions are usually considered weapons-grade.

Other products from this company allow direct application over a creature's natural skin, forming either a synthetic epidermis (using sweat and dead skin as its water source and carbon source for repair) or allowing complete replacement of a creature's skin, for example as a treatment for severe burns. Yet others include cheaper entry-level protective garmets; the cheaper you go, the more orca-ish -- the entry level suit in this line includes a dorsal fin and tail flukes. Earlier productin units used such small and thick fins that they essentially immobilized a significant portion of one's tail, but newer production suits utilize a much thinner and larger fin that actually functions as a passable thermal radiator for short-duration vacuum use.

Kuvrahks are ©  Caz

http://www.foresight.org/Nanomedici.....pirocytes.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cubane

PS: yes, it does have a blowhole. It uses it as the main RCS engine in freefall, and the exhaust for the suit's 'gills' in atmosphere

PPS: The lines in the palm are places where the palm can invert, exposing patches covering nearly the entire gripping side of the hand with gecko-like adhesive bristles, which adhere to anything using van der Waals adhesive forces (AKA Geckotech). The little thing on the wrist is a boltcaster launching a similarly-tipped line electromagnetically and electrostatically (the line thins and extends as a current is applied, plus a coilgun effect)