A Regional Guide to Marine Petpets

     Give the Neopian globe a whirl and you’ll notice about half the planet is covered in water. Considering the vastness of Neopia’s rivers, seas, and lakes, it should come as no surprise that the aquatic life of Neopia is just as varied as the terrestrial life above!

     The salt waters of Neopia are commonly broken down into the following seas: The Terror Sea, The Tyrannian Sea, The Central Sea, The Maraquan Sea, The Geraptiku Sea, The Lost Sea, The Shenkuu Sea, the Altador Sea and The Moltaran Sea. Some academics also consider the vast ice cap at Neopia’s southern pole to be a seventh sea, but this is a contested designation and given the lack of Petpet life observed there, will not be considered in this guide. There are some areas of the Neopian Ocean which do not fall within the confines of any of these Seas, but make no mistake, Petpet life abounds there as well.

      The Terror Sea

     The Terror Sea is home to some hardy Petpets that prefer the icy waters of the North. Large ice floats can be seen in this sea even from a global view! The Maraquan colours of the Candychan, Snowbunny and Snowickle are three iconic denizens of the coldest of the Neopian Seas.

     The Candychan’s bright red scales and green fins colouration acts as a notice to would-be predators, warning them of its intense mintiness.

     The Snowbunny is an herbivorous Petpet that spends most of its time hiding amongst seaweed, which also serve as its food. When startled, they scoot away to the nearest cover. Their thick coat of mucous allows them to quickly slip between strings of seaweed.

     The Snowickle will create a lair for itself on the seafloor in which to hide from danger and collect a nest of shiny objects. Neopets interested in locating sunken treasure in The Terror Sea may find that most of the dubloons have already been secreted away by these Petpets.

      The Tyrannian Sea

     The Tyrannian Sea, while warmer than the Terror Sea, is still quite cold. Until relatively recently, Tyrannia and its sea were frozen, and the chill of these waters are a reminder of these times.

     The Maraquan Gruslen has a chunky look, but it’s not overweight. The thick layer of fat, called blubber, helps it stay warm in the frigid water. Its tusks can make quick work of Mollusc and Nautilus shells.

     The terrestrial Mazzews on the Tyrannian peninsula prefer Green Neggs to most other foods. The Maraquan Mazzews of the Tyrannian Sea opt for a more convenient option: Tyrannian Water Neggs. This variety of Negg can be seen bobbing at the water’s surface in the shallow waters of the Tyrannian coast.

     While the Maraquan Stego does retain its wings and is therefore able to obtain arboreal Blue Toobers if it were so inclined, it’s rarely seen flying. It spends much of its time swimming and climbing in the intertidal zones of the Tyrannian coastline, searching for Blue Oysters, Cactopuses and Crabletts. These foods may seem difficult to eat, but the Stego’s sharp beak allows it to crunch into lunch with ease.

      The Central Sea

     The Central Sea includes a large area stretching from just north of Roo Island and Neopia down to the coastal junction of Faerieland and the Lost Desert and east to the large island west of Maraqua.

     The Nuranna is an apex predator, using its two horns to hunt Uniocto below the waves as well as low flying Mallards. That’s right, this aquatic Petpet can leave the water for short periods of time!

     The juvenile Turdle’s shell protects it from Nuranna horns. As it reaches maturity, it will outgrow its shell. In captivity Turdles have been known to reach huge sizes, but they’re shorter lived in the wild.

     The Uniocto’s speed is its main defense. Without horns or shells to protect it, a slow Uniocto is sure to attract the attention of hungry Nurannas.

      The Maraquan Sea

      The Petpets which can be confirmed to have originated in and currently reside in Maraqua include the Arkmite, Bubblebee, Darpinch, Kora, Lellefisk, Lurman, Mundo, Neucloop, Noak, Nupie, Sandpoint, Splime, Spyrabor, Staragus, Surzard, Urgoni and Yoakie. These seventeen species are well documented in the literature and can be observed in their natural Maraquan habitat to this day.

     The Arkmite, originally discovered by Swordsmaster Talek, now has a large domestic population due to their utility as a guard fish and their popularity as a companion. There are eleven known colours of Arkmite, ten of which can be achieved through the Petpet Puddle in Neopia Central. Some of these colours are likely naturally occurring while others would not have arisen without intervention. The wildtype Arkmite is blue green with two eyes socketed in protrusions on the sides of its head. Despite side facing eyes often being associated with prey, the Arkmite is a predator. It may be that the Arkmite’s unusual head shape is an adaptation to allow it to locate its primary prey, the Yoakie and Splime.

     The Yoakie, a flat, blue Petpet, is known among Petpet enthusiasts as an easy beginner Petpet content to be carried in a pocket. The wild Yoakie spends much of its time in a similar fashion, hidden just beneath the sand on the Maraquan ocean floor or between coral formations and seaweed. Due to its sedentary nature, the nutrients it filters from sand and water are sufficient to sustain it. Unfortunately for the Yoakie, the Arkmite’s unusual head shape seems to give it the ability to locate its prey even when it isn’t visible to the naked eye.

     The Splime appears very similar to a clump of seaweed from above and spends most of its time with its face planted against rocks and coral, slowly scraping algae from its surroundings. That is not to say it is immobile or herbivorous. An opportunistic scavenger, the Splime will happily consume any leftovers another Petpet leaves unattended.

     Despite the Splime’s deceptive appearance, which generally keeps it safe from the ever-hungry Noak, the Arkmite seems able to distinguish it from genuine seaweed, as there are no known instances of an Arkmite mistakenly chomping into seaweed.

      The Darpinch and Spyrabor are both scavengers that have claws and thick carapaces, but their behaviors are quite dissimilar. The Darpinch is often seen in Maraqua, mischievously getting into garbage bins, or snatching food from gardens. While sometimes kept as a pet, its curiosity and relative intelligence can make it a pest. In the wild, they can be seen among the protective coral beds around Maraqua proper, happily exploring in search of food. In contrast, the Spyrabor is more often seen scavenging along the sandy, open sea floor further from the city of Maraqua. Without the protection of its surroundings, the Spyrabor must rely upon its own natural defenses. Its shell is usually tough enough to repel hungry predators, but its stinger and claws are handy in a pinch. Very shy and quick to pinch, the Spyrabor is not a beginner friendly Petpet and may be best left in the wild.

     The soft-bodied Neucloop lacks a shell but is quite capable of defending itself from a Noak or Surzard. This watery Petpet has a nasty neurotoxin it can release through its tentacles. Due to its natural camouflage, its presence eludes many predators, but its sting is capable of fending off all but the most determined hunter.

     These three Petpet’s defense mechanisms work on more than just predators. The Jiggybug is a parasitic P3 for all three species and can be quite the nuisance. Luckily for these Petpets, claws and tentacle stings are enough to turn a Jiggybug into a convenient snack.

      The Lellefisk and Bubblebee have a somewhat different approach to the Jiggybug problem. Bubbles! That’s right, a well-timed bubble can stun and trap the pesky P3, allowing the Petpet to consume it or simply swim away unscathed.

      The Geraptiku Sea

      Beyond the seventeen Maraquan Petpets, there are an additional forty-seven so called “Maraquan Refugee” Petpets, which can be found for sale at The Rock Pool on Mystery Island. While these Petpets thrive in salt water, it is likely that many of them originated in Neopia’s other seas rather than Maraqua itself. In fact, the most likely origin for many of these Petpets is the area surrounding Mystery Island. The label of “Maraquan Refugee” is simply a marketing technique meant to exploit sentimental tourists unfamiliar with local fauna.

     Islanders have a legend that Meturfs first appeared “one fine Gadgadsbogen”, which is a Mystery Island fruit celebration. This local legend supports the idea that the Meturf is from The Geraptiku Sea rather than Maraqua. From its furry green appearance to its chunky little limbs, the Meturf certainly doesn’t look like an entirely water bound critter, but it’s not entirely terrestrial either. Meturfs are semi-aquatic in that they spend much of their time swimming in tide pools. but

     The Sproing lives primarily in water but can traverse land for short periods of time by bouncing on its two twirly tendrils. Maraqua is entirely submerged and is not particularly close to any land. The Sproing’s tendrils don’t make sense for a Petpet that originated in an area without land to bounce on. It’s possible that this Petpet’s natural habitat is another island, but the waters surrounding Mystery Island are the most cost-effective source of stock for The Rock Pool.

     Phnards are well suited to life in warm, shallow tide pools. They prefer to bask in sunny pools where their dark surface allows them to effectively absorb warmth from the sun. They become agitated when disturbed from their sun bathing even by the shadows of Islanders passing by. These bulbous Petpets would not thrive on the dark sea floor or busy coral reefs of The Maraquan Sea.

      Chuchuanas can be seen basking on the Geraptiku ruins and the sides of the Mystery Island Volcano, but what many tourists fail to notice is their affinity for water. These little reptile’s eyes glow, allowing them to see tasty seaweed and shellfish on the sea floor. These Petpets use their powerful tails to propel them through the water, allowing them to dive quickly and surface again before running out of air.

     Crocalu are aggressive. One of the reasons swimming isn’t encouraged around Mystery Island is the large Crocalu population. These Petpets have adapted to be able to spend time in both salt and fresh water, meaning they can be found both in the freshwater springs on the island’s interior and in the salty surf offshore. The Brown Crocalu are more often seen inland and the Green Crocalu are more often seen in the sea, but it is unclear whether a Crocalu’s colour will change if it is moved from fresh to salt water or vice versa. Due to their sharp teeth and even sharper temper, finding volunteers to test the relationship between their colour and habitat has been challenging.

     The Maraquan Quetzal is the only Geraptiku Petpet which has currently been observed in the Maraquan colour. It’s possible that the Quetzal’s naturally inquisitive nature is the reason for it having developed an aquatic variant while other Petpets from the same region have not.

      The Lost Sea

      The Lost Desert is relatively dry, except for the river between Sakhmet and Qasala. This arid land borders The Lost Sea. Desert sandstorms are frequent enough to deposit a large amount of sand in the adjacent seawater. The result of these sand deposits is cloudy seawater unsuitable to sensitive sea life.

     The Maraquan Anubis is a pack animal, living in social groups known as schools. This friendly attitude makes them appealing companion animals. Their curly, muscular tails allow them to hold on to the reeds that grow in the brackish delta where the desert river meets the sea. This ability to anchor themselves is essential during the aforementioned storms.

     The Maraquan Geb has a thick shell it can withdraw into when threatened and a pair of claws it can use to pluck food from the coastal shores or defend itself with when its shell is not sufficiently discouraging to predators.

     The Maraquan Grackle Bug has claws like the Maraquan Geb, but rather than standing its ground in the face of an attack, it uses its fan shaped tail to swiftly scoot backwards to safety. Its flighty tendencies make sense in context: Grackle Bugs are used both in food and medicine in The Lost Desert. The Grackle Bug also has many natural predators, including the Djuti, Erisim and Horus.

      The Shenkuu Sea

      The Belonthiss may seem magical due to its ability to glide out of water, but the truth is that this is a purely physical ability. Its powerful tail propels it quickly near the surface where it spreads its long pectoral fins out to catch the wind like wings.

     Conversely, the Hegelob is said to have many magical properties and has a special place in Shenkuu culture, inspiring items such as the Bow of the Hegelob and Hegelob Peanut Cookies in its image.

     There are rumored sightings of a Maraquan Pygui, but these rumors have not been substantiated yet. Perhaps their rash nature caused a Pygui to pursue a life in the sea or maybe it was only the water playing tricks on someone’s eyes. Only time will tell!

      The Altador Sea

      While Altador has a strong shipping industry based out of its docks and a complex water works, none of the Legendary Petpets are marine in nature. The closest of the Petpets available at Legendary Petpets is the Aroota, which uses its claws to fish in Altadorian rivers.

     It would make sense that rather than having waters devoid of Petpet life, the Altador Sea is full of regional variants of Petpets which originate in other lands. In fact, the Calamari Pita Wrap is proof that there is life in the Altador Sea. Looking at the Legendary Petpets, it appears that Yellow is the most common colour of the base or “wild type” Petpets and White is the second most common. Many aquatic Petpets can be painted in these colours, and it would make sense that Yellow and White versions of these aquatic Petpets might be found in the Altador Sea. Examples would include the Yellow Slugawoo and White Delfin.

      The Moltaran Sea

      There are only two Petpets originating in Moltara which are aquatic in nature. This is likely due to the extreme temperatures in Moltara. There are deep-sea vents in the trenches between the islands which surround the entrance to Moltara, which make these areas inhospitable to most species. Even those Petpets which can withstand the high temperatures near these vents are often not adapted to marine life. Thus far, no Moltaran Petpets have been observed in the Maraquan colour, nonetheless, there are some aquatic species present in the Moltaran Sea.

     The Ignalce may look like a strictly terrestrial species considering its four hooved feet and lack of fins, flippers, or gills, but it’s just as capable of gliding atop water as prancing through the grassy islands surrounding the entrance to Moltara. Its default colour is magma, meaning that it emits a high temperature. This means that it scorches the earth it treads on and turns water to steam. It is this steam that allows the Ignalce to glide across the water’s surface. When it wishes, it can allow its exterior to cool enough to walk into the water rather than gliding across the surface. They usually choose to stay afloat when traveling between islands, as the distance is shorter than walking across the bottom, but when they feel threatened, they will sink beneath the waves.

     The Magmut swims through magma pools in the Moltaran Caverns and can be seen swimming in the heat of deep-sea vents between the islands around the entrance to Moltara. They likely swim between these areas through streams of magma, though this would be difficult to confirm.

     There is one aquatic species that has adapted to the harsh conditions of the Maraquan Sea: the Magma Screal. This species has five total colours if its base colour is included. With its ability to adapt to a variety of conditions, it’s not terribly surprising that it has been the first aquatic Petpet to adapt to be able to swim in magma. Over time, other species of aquatic Petpet may follow.

     This guide is not comprehensive, as there are far too many aquatic species to cover in a single article. Observations of new aquatic species and species which have recently adapted to aquatic life should be reported to The Fairweather Research Group.

     Keep an eye out for an even deeper dive into more of Neopia's aquatic Petpets with our freshwater guide!