Peeper

The Peeper is a small, yet fast, passive fauna species that could be considered the mascot of Subnautica. It is easily identified by its large, bright yellow eyes.

Overview

The Peeper will try to flee from most life forms larger than itself, such as Stalkers or the player. They can be caught, though their speed allows them to easily outrun a poorly equipped player. With the use of a Grav Trap, Seaglide, Stasis Rifle, or Propulsion Cannon, they can be easily captured. To catch them without any tools it's easiest to approach them from above.

Cooked Peepers have above average Food properties. For this reason, they are very useful for players in Survival mode and are always worth the catch.

Appearance

Peepers have small bodies which take on a primarily blue hue that turns more greenish near the tail. The head is composed of a yellow, beak-like mouth on the front and a pair of large, rather flat eyes situated on both sides of the head. The eyes feature black pupils with bright bioluminescent yellow sclerae and brown irises. It is also noteworthy that the Peeper has eyelids, and can be observed blinking.

The Peeper has a small, pointed caudal fin. Three holes run along on each side of the body, resembling gills. There are also two tube-like organs that extend from the top and bottom of its head. These resemble backward-facing jets and propel the Peeper forwards, leaving behind water trails when it does so.

Spoiler alert: The following section contains story related material.

Many parts of the Peeper's body are ways to distribute Enzyme 42 to the surface, which are considered seemingly useless when the player first scans them.

Behavior

Peepers will aimlessly swim around and will flee if approached by the player or a shark classified fauna. Peepers are curious and will swim towards small classified fauna. They swim slower at night making them easier to catch.

Spoiler alert: The following section contains story related material.

Peepers that spawn outside the Safe Shallows have a small chance to be carrying Enzyme 42. These Peepers are often located near Alien Vents and will lower the infection level of nearby fauna. Peepers not carrying the enzyme will swim towards the Alien Vent and be sucked in by them. Peepers inside the Primary Containment Facility will swim towards the enzyme trail left behind by the Sea Emperor Leviathan before making their way towards the Alien Vents along the walls of the aquarium.

Story

Peepers supposedly evolved from the extinct 'Alpha Peeper' species, which was likely one of the first creatures on 4546B to develop eyesight several million years ago.

Spoiler alert: The following section contains story related material.

Many Peepers were trained by the Sea Emperor Leviathan to carry and distribute Enzyme 42. All living Peepers today seem to retain this behaviour and have adapted to perform it. This is the sole reason why life has managed to survive on the planet since the release of Kharaa.

Uses

Crafting

Cooked Peeper

Energy Value

+420 Energy

Food & Water Values

Peeper (Raw)

• Food: +12
• Water: -7
• Description: Edible prey fish. High calorie count.
• Debug Spawn: peeper

Cooked Peeper

• Food: +32
• Water: +5
• Description: Protein-rich eyeballs. Highly nutritious.
• Debug Spawn: cookedpeeper

Cured Peeper

• Food: +32
• Water: -2
• Description: Preserved in salt. A healthy and nutritious meal. Dehydrating, but keeps well.
• Debug Spawn: curedpeeper

Data Bank Entry

Peeper

A fast prey fish encountered in shallow waters and rich in protein.

1. Developed, Side-facing Eyes: Capable of discerning colors not just in shallows waters but in a variety of lighting conditions. It is also able to close its eyelids, thus preventing light from reflecting off the lenses and rendering the peeper almost invisible to night time predators.
2. Powerful Fins: This species has evolved powerful fins which enable rapid acceleration in still water, and the ability to leap meters into the air to avoid pursuers.
3. Beak: Likely used to break down corals and tough vegetation. An unusually large nasal cavity serves no obvious purpose, and appears to be specially evolved to detect a single, specific enzyme. Nothing encountered on the planet so far produces a matching odor.
4. Expulsion Tubes: The tubes attached to the peeper's torso are connected directly to its stomach and gills, and appear to be designed to expel its contents on demand. Purpose unclear.

While the peeper is well adapted to survive in shallow waters, a number of its features serve no discernible purpose. It would appear to be just as well suited to survive in deeper waters, and is somewhat more intelligent than the usual small herbivore.

Assessment: Edible (high calorie count), further research required Source: Scan

Gallery

Front view

Side profile

Dorsal view

Bioluminescence

A Peeper held in the player's hand

Size comparison with the player

A Peeper in the Safe Shallows

A school of Peepers in the Grand Reef

A Peeper in the Mushroom Forest

A Peeper blinking

Mouth animations

Concept art of the Peeper

The official Peeper card from The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls Requiem

The official Peeper plush that was available from For Fans by Fans up until the site's closure in 2022

Peepers featured in the Steam Summer Sale of 2017

Trivia

• Some of the Peeper's sounds were created by sound designer Simon Chylinski by editing his own voice.
• In Concept art, the Peeper's name was Aqua-Bird.
• The Peeper could be considered the unofficial mascot of Subnautica, due to its unique, iconic look.
• Multiple Peepers are featured in the Steam Summer Sale of 2017, as a collectible sticker.
• During The Binding of Isaac: Four Souls Requiem's Kickstarter campaign, a Peeper card was added.
• The card features art by Tikara, a playtester for Subnautica.