Plimpy

• Ministry of Magic Classification: XXX (Competent wizard should cope)
• Native to: Britain and Ireland
• Habitat: Deep lakes
• Distinguishing Features: Spherical fish-like body, two rubbery legs with webbed feet
• Diet: Water snails

The Plimpy is a spherical, mottled fish found in deep lakes throughout Britain and Ireland. Its most distinctive features are two long, rubbery legs that end in webbed feet, which it uses to walk along the lakebed. It is a scavenger that subsists on a diet of water snails. While not considered particularly dangerous, a Plimpy will nibble on the feet and clothing of swimmers who venture into its territory.

The Plimpy is regarded as a pest by Merpeople, who have developed a method for dealing with them. When a Plimpy becomes a nuisance, Merpeople will tie its flexible legs into a knot, causing the creature to drift away uncontrollably until it manages to untie itself. In contrast, some members of the wizarding community, such as the Lovegood family, hold a more favorable view of the creature. Luna Lovegood was known to fish for Freshwater Plimpys and believed them to be intelligent beings. Her father, Xenophilius Lovegood, fashioned a necklace from Plimpy tendrils.

• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: The Plimpy is first mentioned when Xenophilius Lovegood attends the wedding of Bill Weasley and Fleur Delacour, where he wears a necklace of Plimpy tendrils. Later, when Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger visit the Lovegoods' home, Xenophilius mentions that Luna Lovegood is out fishing for Freshwater Plimpys. He also notes that Luna had previously suggested a Plimpy infestation, rather than a Gernumbli one, was responsible for the state of their garden.

• The primary source of detailed biological information about the Plimpy, including its Ministry of Magic Classification, diet, and its interactions with Merpeople, is the supplemental book Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.