Water Dumple

Water Dumple
Appears in	Pikmin, Pikmin 2, Pikmin 3, Pikmin 4
Scientific name	Ichthyosa felinis
Family	Grub-dog
Areas	The Distant Spring, Valley of Repose, Perplexing Pool, Distant Tundra, Twilight River, Serene Shores
Caves	Frontier Cavern, Citadel of Spiders, Shower Room, Cavern of Chaos, Hole of Heroes, Dream Den, Sightless Passage, The Mud Pit
Challenge Mode stages	Creator's Garden
Mission Mode Collect Treasure! stages	Silver Lake, Forgotten Cove
Mission Mode Battle Enemies! stages	Silver Lake, Thirsty Desert
Side Story days	Inside Forest, Tundra
Dandori Challenge stages	Test Tubs
Dandori Battle stages	None
2-Player Battle stages	Tile Lands
Bingo Battle stages	Stagnant Sea
Attacks	Eat Pikmin

Water Dumples (ダンゴナマズ^?, lit.: "Dumpling Catfish") are enemies in all of the main Pikmin games. They are members of the grub-dog family, and act like Dwarf Bulborbs. They are most commonly found in the water, but can survive on land as well. They resemble blue catfish or shellfish, with relatively large mouths, whisker-like features, and tentacles at the rear of their abdomen. Their exact behavior varies with each game, but they can always be defeated easily if the player is cautious and swarms them. Just like other small enemies, Purple Pikmin in Pikmin 2 will work particularly well if this creature is found on land. A Water Dumple can be defeated easily by leaders as it has few hit points.

Stats

Game	Weight	Max. carriers	Seeds	Value	Health	Regen.
	5	10	5	N/A	200	Unknown
	5	10	5	× 3	200	No
(?)	5	10 (normally)	5	× 30 × 30	200	No
	3	6	4 (0 glow pellets)	× 3	200	No

Notes

Reel notes

“This aquatic creature is a close relative of the bulborb.”

Olimar's notes

“A resident of freshwater pools and marshes, this aquatic creature regularly feeds on insects that land on the surface of the water. It shares a nearly identical skeletal structure with its close relative and terrestrial cousin, the bulborb. This may offer clues to its evolutionary origin and suggests that it only recently emigrated to an aquatic habitat.”

Louie's notes

“Deep-fry dumples without batter for all of the flavor with half the fat!”

Alph's comments

US version

“Structural flaw: low speed
Weight: 5

Its eyes have been deprecated, so it relies on smell to find prey that it can swallow with its huge mouth. It's slow enough to make getting around it for a rear assault a simple job. Assuming you can tell its rear from its front...”

European version

“Structural flaw: low speed
Weight: 5

Its eyes have been lost over time, so it relies on smell to find prey that it can swallow with its huge mouth. It's slow enough to make getting around it for a rear assault a simple job. Assuming you can tell its rear from its front...”

Brittany's comments

“I love dumplings, but the serving size here is too big even for me. Plus its skin looks too tough and rubbery for me to dig into. Pass.”

Charlie's comments

“That stunt where its watery stripes blend into its environment, making it almost invisible, won't work on me! You don't get to be an old hand at missions without seeing through cheap tricks like—Hey! Where'd it go?”

Louie's comments

US version

“Deep-fry dumples without batter for all of the flavor with half the fat!”

European version

“Deep-fry dumples without batter for all of the flavour with half the fat!”

Olimar's comments

“Water Dumple
Ichthyosa felinis
Grub-dog family

A resident of freshwater pools and marshes, this aquatic creature regularly feeds on insects that land on the surface of the water. It shares a nearly identical skeletal structure with its close relative and terrestrial cousin, the bulborb. This may offer clues to its evolutionary origin and suggests that it only recently immigrated to an aquatic habitat.”

Dalmo's Notes

“This odd critter lost its vision, but it evolved a very sharp sense of smell to compensate. Even if you sneak up behind it very quietly, it will still detect you. But with a mouth that opens up big and wide, approaching from the front isn't adviseable either!”

Pikmin Nintendo Player's Guide

“A carnivorous species of marine life, the water dumple uses its oversized jaws to capture its prey. The mandibles of the water dumple extend halfway across the length of its body, and its large gullet enables the predatory fish to consume large quantities of food quickly and efficiently. Water dumples travel in schools, posing a great threat to anything that enters the waters they patrol. This aquatic creature is a close relative of the bulborb.”

“If it has a big mouth, then it loves to eat Pikmin. Avoid the water dumple's lethal jaws and send a handful of Pikmin to attack from behind.”

Pikmin Nintendo Power booklet

“Water dumples have huge jaws—perfect for swallowing large numbers of Pikmin in a single gulp. Making matters worse, these creatures travel in schools and patrol waterways crucial to Captain Olimar's mission.”

Pikmin 2 Nintendo Player's Guide

“The swimming version of a Dwarf Bulborb has a large mouth and a big appetite. Since Water Dumples are blue, they blend in with the water. Squash them with blue Pikmin or draw them out of the water and hit them with purples. Beware they can spot you from a greater distance than other enemies can.”

Pikmin 3 Prima Guide

“Water Dumples are compact aquatic creatures capable of quickly devouring a small group of Pikmin. Given their size, these enemies are surprisingly powerful, so it's best to overwhelm them before they have a chance to attack.”

“When you encounter a Water Dumple, flank the creature and send a squad of Blue Pikmin charging in from the rear.”

Behavior

Pikmin

In Pikmin, Water Dumples are found in or near bodies of water and always in groups. They have one simple bite attack that can grab only a few Pikmin at a time, and if attacked, they may shake any Pikmin off of their bodies. Though similar in stature to Dwarf Bulborbs, Water Dumples cannot be defeated by one Pikmin thrown directly onto their back, but can be defeated rather quickly, regardless. If a Water Dumple spots a Pikmin or leader, it will give chase and continue for a considerable distance. The light color of the water in The Distant Spring can make Water Dumples difficult to spot.

Pikmin 2

Water Dumples are very much unchanged in Pikmin 2. They, alongside Dweevils, are somewhere inbetween a small and medium sized enemy, in a sense that while a direct hit from a Purple Pikmin doesn't kill them, it does reduce them to half of their health. They are found more frequently on land due to the many caves they appear in that contain little or no water. They move at a slightly slower pace, and their movement animation has been drastically slowed.

Pikmin 3

Water Dumples are similar to their previous appearances in Pikmin 2, but they have gone through a few notable changes. They are found alone or much more spread out in several areas, but still found in water in almost all cases. Since they are frequently single targets, they are also slightly trickier to fight. Most notably, Water Dumples can now counter Pikmin very easily if attacked from the front; with its simple bite, one creature can shake a huge army off its face before taking much damage at all, leaving the attackers vulnerable. The water they live in is much deeper than the previous two games, giving them a sort of camouflage in the water.

Strategy

The following article or section contains guides.
The strategies shown are just suggestions.

Pikmin

Swarming a Water Dumple with a large army of Pikmin is usually very effective. If these enemies are in large groups, however, and you have few Pikmin, it is likely that some Pikmin will be eaten, as the Dumples attack with quick lunges. In such a case, separate the creatures by luring them away from the group one after another. If you lure a Water Dumple too far out, it will lose interest and begin to return to the group or its original location. When this happens, swarm them from behind to ensure a quick and safe victory.

Pikmin 2

The basic strategy for defeating Water Dumples is unchanged; swarm with a large group of Pikmin. However, a few new strategies are brought to the table. If you have Purple Pikmin at your disposal, use them to stun the creature from a distance, and then continue pelting it for a quick defeat. This way is safest, as the creature should not be able to regain its sense fast enough to fight back against the Pikmin. Also, now with stronger punches, it is possible to take out Water Dumples effectively with a leader. This is slower than using Pikmin, but is an effective way to ensure the safety of Blue Pikmin when encountering submerged Water Dumples. Just circle the creature, punching it and backing off when it shakes or bites.

Pikmin 3

One new precaution must be taken with Water Dumples: don't send your squad in from the front. Doing so will result in the Dumple shaking off all Pikmin, no matter how many, and following up with bites. It is best to approach it from the rear and charge from there, or just throw Pikmin onto its back and whistle them back off if/when it attempts to shake them off.

Pikmin 4

Just like the previous 3 games, swarming is the best way to defeat these creatures. Similar to Pikmin 3, they can shake Pikmin off of a forward charge and will retaliate with a quick bite. The best method is to swarm from its rear or to just repeatedly throw Pikmin onto its back until it dies. Additionally, if you want to minimize potential Pikmin deaths you can use Oatchi to attack (and if his Rush skill is high enough, it can one-shot the Water Dumple.

Technical information

Pikmin technical information (?)
Internal name	`namazu`
HP	200

Pikmin 2 technical information (?)
Internal name			`catfish`
Global properties (List)
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
s000	friction(not used)	Friction	0.5
s001	wallReflection	Unknown (wall bounce speed multiplier?)	0.5
s002	faceDirAdjust	Unknown	0.25
s003	accel	Acceleration	0.1
s004	bounceFactor	Unknown (bounce when it hits the ground?)	0.3
fp00	ライフ	HP	200
fp01	マップとの当り	Unknown (related to slopes)	20
fp02	ダメージスケールXZ	Horizontal damage scale	0.2
fp03	ダメージスケールY	Vertical damage scale	0.25
fp04	ダメージフレーム	Damage scale duration	0.3
fp05	質量	Unknown (weight?)	0.01
fp06	速度	Move speed	60
fp08	回転速度率	Rotation acceleration	0.1
fp09	テリトリー	Territory radius	280
fp10	ホーム範囲	"Home" radius	80
fp11	プライベート距離	"Private" radius	70
fp12	視界距離	Sight radius	200
fp13	視界角度	FOV	180
fp14	探索距離	Unknown (exploration radius?)	200
fp15	探索角度	Unknown (exploration angle?)	180
fp16	振り払い率	Successful shake rate	1
fp17	振り払い力	Shake knockback	80
fp18	振り払いダメージ	Shake damage	1
fp19	振り払い範囲	Shake range	25
fp20	攻撃可能範囲	Unknown (shock attack max range?)	50
fp21	攻撃可能角度	Unknown (shock attack max angle?)	25
fp22	攻撃ヒット範囲	Unknown (attack hit range?)	50
fp23	攻撃ヒット角度	Unknown (attack hit angle?)	25
fp24	攻撃力	Attack damage	10
fp25	視界高	Unknown (height visibility?)	50
fp26	探索高	Unknown (exploration height?)	50
fp27	ライフの高さ	HP wheel height	50
fp28	回転最大速度	Rotation speed	10
fp29	警戒時間	Unknown (warning time?)	15
fp30	警戒ライフ	Unknown	30
fp31	ライフ回復率	Regeneration rate	0
fp32	LOD半径	Off-camera radius	40
fp33	マップとのあたりポリゴンの選定	Collision processing radius	40
fp34	ピクミンとのあたり	Pikmin damage radius	15
fp35	石化時間	Petrification duration	1
fp36	ヒップドロップダメージ	Purple Pikmin drop damage	50
fp37	地震気絶確立	Purple Pikmin stun chance	0.3 (30%)
fp38	地震気絶時間	Purple Pikmin stun time	5
ip01	振り払い打撃Ａ	Shake mode 1 – hit count	1
ip02	振り払い張付１	Shake mode 1 – Pikmin requirement	1
ip03	振り払い打撃Ｂ	Shake mode 2 – hit count	1
ip04	振り払い張付２	Shake mode 2 – Pikmin requirement	2
ip05	振り払い打撃Ｃ	Shake mode 3 – hit count	2
ip06	振り払い張付３	Shake mode 3 – Pikmin requirement	3
ip07	振り払い打撃Ｄ	Shake mode 4 – hit count	2
Specific properties
ID	Japanese comment	Property	Value
fp01	ぼんやり時間	Unknown (idle time?)	2
fp02	白ピクミン毒	White Pikmin poison damage	300
fp03	回転終了角度	Max angle it will rotate at, on the spot	90

Pikmin 3 technical information (?)
Internal name	`namazu`
HP	200
Rock Pikmin throw hits to kill	3
White Pikmin ingestions to kill	1
Bomb rock explosions to kill	1
Bomb rock ingestions to kill	0
Number of direct hits on top to kill	0
Damage to leaders	10
Territory radius	300
Mission Mode value	30

Other information

Technical name in The Official Nintendo Player's Guide: Whiskered Water Dumple
Size: Body length: 40mm, as per the e-card
Pikmin 2 Piklopedia number: #11

Naming

Common name: Water Dumple. The word "water" is naturally related to its tendency to be submerged, while "dumple" derives from dumpling because of the creature's Japanese name.
Japanese nickname: ダンゴナマズ^?, lit.: "Dumpling Catfish". It could be said that the creature's simple round shape is what inspired the word "dango" for the Japanese name. The "catfish" part is because the real world catfish, in that the Water Dumple has fish characteristics, mostly in terms of being underwater, and cat-like whiskers.
Japanese name: アミダンゴナマズ^?, lit.: "Reticulated Dumpling Catfish".
Scientific name: Ichthyosa felinis. "Ichthys" is Greek for "fish", and "felinis" is similar to "feline".
Internal names: Internally, it is known as namazu in Pikmin, Pikmin 3, and Pikmin 4, which is part of its Japanese name, but in Pikmin 2, this word is translated, making it catfish.
Prerelease: None.

Names in other languages

The following article or section needs help from someone who can translate Dutch text.

Language	Name	Meaning	Notes
Japanese	ダンゴナマズ^? Dango Namazu	Dumpling Catfish
Chinese (traditional)	丸子鯰 Wánzi Nián	Ball Catfish
Chinese (simplified)	丸子鲶 Wánzi Nián	Ball Catfish
Dutch	Watergrubber
French	Bouledeau		The name comes from "boule d'eau" (water ball); Also a pun on "bulldog"
German	Wasser-Klößling	Water Dumple
Italian	Idrotalpa	Hydro-mole
Korean	동글메기 Donggeul-Megi	Rotund Catfish
Portuguese	Bolinho d'água	Water dumpling
Spanish	Mole acuática	Aquatic mole

Gallery

Pikmin

Artwork of the Water Dumple. Note the presence of whiskers.
Two Water Dumples in the enemy reel.
Drawings of the Water Dumple from the Pikmin Official Player's Guide.

Pikmin 2

Artwork of the Water Dumple.
Alternate scan of the Water Dumple's artwork.
A Water Dumple in the Piklopedia.
The corpse of a Water Dumple.
The Piklopedia icon of the Water Dumple in the Nintendo Switch version of Pikmin 2.

Pikmin 3

Artwork of the Water Dumple.
The front of a Water Dumple shown from the KopPad.
A closer look of the Water Dumple.
A dead Water Dumple.

Pikmin 4

The carcass of a Water Dumple seen underwater.
Two Water Dumples seen in Pikmin 4's Piklopedia
A group of Water Dumples with red "eyes".

Other

The Water Dumple's e-card, #11 (8^th blue card).

Trivia

It is stated in Louie's notes on the Bumbling Snitchbug that Water Dumples lay eggs.
Their "whiskers" are only present in Pikmin, having been removed in later games for unknown reasons.
In Olimar's notes for the Wogpole, it is said that Water Dumples feed on the creature's eggs.
The Water Dumple's design is likely made up of 2 separate species, the catfish and the shingle sea urchin.
In Pikmin 4, during night expeditions, if a Water Dumple is present and turns hostile, it will gain glowing red "eyes" on the side of its body next to where its mouth ends. This suggests that their eyes were there before they deprecated.