Common Sense Media Review
By Emily Ashby
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Well-rounded animated series has broad learning potential.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 4+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Fishtronaut
What's the Story?
FISHTRONAUT is the story of a resourceful goldfish agent for the Secret Environmental Agency, tasked with solving the mysteries that arise in Smiling Trees Park, where the animals talk and mingle with people. Each day Fishtronaut (voiced by Dawn Ford) is given a mystery to solve by the P.O.P., a colorful ball that divulges clues to the task at hand, sending him and his friends, Marina (Angela Gallupo) and Zeek (Terrence Scammell), out into the park to decipher them and solve the mystery. When the team is stumped, Fishtronaut turns to Rosy Barb (Holly Gauthier-Frankel) and Happy Plumb (Scammell again), two fish friends who are a wealth of knowledge and expertise and usually manage to get them back on track.
Is It Any Good?
There's good reason to like this well-rounded series. Besides the friendly and cooperative rapport that exists among the trio of mystery solvers, the show carefully presents lots of learning potential for kids, all without the feel of educational programming. As Fishtronaut and his friends follow leads, kids learn facts about different animal species and stay on the lookout for clues based on color, size, and other classifying factors that help them learn to differentiate and categorize what they see. Environmental themes such as conservation are more subtle but no less a concentration.
Fishtronaut's other focus is music, evident in the Latin American sound that sets the mood for this Brazilian production as well as in the emphasis on rhythm and patterns. The characters must imitate the P.O.P.'s rhythms by clapping and stomping to hear clues, an exercise that looks so fun kids will want to join in.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the animals Fishtronaut encounters in the park. Do any of them exist in the wild where you live? How is your climate different from what you see in this show?
How effectively do Fishtronaut, Marina, and Zeek work as a team? Who, if anyone, is the group's leader? What makes a good leader?
Families can discuss the environmental issues raised in the show. What does it mean for a species to be endangered? How does one get to that point? What can you do to help conserve resources and protect natural habitats for animals that are endangered?
How do the characters in Fishtronaut demonstrate curiosity and teamwork? Why are these important character strengths?
TV Details
- Premiere date : May 28, 2015
- Cast : Dawn Ford , Holly Gauthier-Frankel , Terrence Scammell
- Network : Kids Central
- Genre : Kids' Animation
- Topics : Friendship , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along ) , Animals ( Ocean Creatures , Wild Animals ) , STEM
- Character Strengths : Curiosity , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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