The lead Hunter, in 2369
A fully geared Hunter
The Hunters are a humanoid species from the Gamma Quadrant, from the same homeworld as the Tosk. They are characterized by pale yellow skin, an undivided nasal passage, and cranial armor on their foreheads.
In the Hunters' culture, it is socially acceptable way of life, to chase and kill a sentient being, known as Tosk. In the past, the Hunters had developed genetic engineering to make the Tosk a worthy prey -- a prey they've come to respect and even admire.
Armed with energy weapons, the Hunters are formidable opponents in a fire-fight. They dress in a type of protective suit that shield them from the full effects of stun settings on phasers. In addition, they wear deflective devices on their left arms and specialized helmets, which are able to locate an invisible Tosk.
In 2369, a group of Hunters arrived in the Alpha Quadrant via the Bajoran wormhole, in pursuit of a Tosk. Their ship was small, but its technology was totally unknown to the Federation. Its weapon was capable of bombarding a target with an unusual type of radiation, which, when fired on Deep Space 9 space station, was effective in reversing the polarity of the shield frequencies, allowing them to transport onto the station, and attempt to locate the Tosk. (DS9: "Captive Pursuit")
- The lead Hunter was played by Gerrit Graham. Like the designation "Tosk", it is not known whether the species name was "Hunter", or whether this was an indication of their job, or even their class or rank on their homeworld. Their homeworld's name was never mentioned, or even their species. We only know what they are called from what Tosk tells Miles O'Brien. Also, in the episode Broken Link a Hunter was supposed to appear - thus establishing that the Hunters are members of the Dominion - but this was dropped. It is thus unknown whether or not the Hunters are part of the Dominion.