0 a small animal that lives in water and looks like a fish with four legs. An axolotl is a type of amphibian (= an animal that usually lives both on land and in water) but it only lives in water. --
A similar phenomenon happens in the neotenic amphibian salamanders, which, without introducing iodine, don't transform into terrestrial adults, and live and reproduce in the larval form of aquatic axolotl.
The axolotl is a species of salamander that retains its juvenile aquatic form throughout adulthood, which is an excellent example of full neoteny.
As of 2003, there were only 600 axolotls known to exist in the wild.
Axolotls live in a paedomorphic state, retaining most characteristics of their larval stage for their entire lifespans.
In captivity, axolotls eat a variety of readily available foods, including trout and salmon pellets, frozen or live bloodworms, earthworms, and waxworms.
Although the axolotl is colloquially known as a walking fish, it is not a fish, but an amphibian.
Limb regeneration in the axolotl and newt has been extensively studied and researched.
Several species indigenous to the lake are now extinct or endangered (e.g. axolotls).
