As one of the many new mobs added in the Cliffs and Caves update of Minecraft, players can now find and interact with Axolotls. These underwater mobs are unique in a lot of ways, as although they are passive towards the player, this doesn't hold true for anything else that they might stumble across underwater. Since they can really help with underwater exploration, players may be interested in breeding Axolotls, but they will need a special type of food in order to do so. Aside from this, these mobs can be bred just like any other animal in the game.
Axolotls are especially nice to have around because they will help the player when engaged in battle with Minecraft's other underwater hostile mobs. If players manage to defeat a mob that an Axolotl was attacking, they will gain the Regeneration status effect and remove the Mining Fatigue status effect form underwater players.
Axolotls will only eat Buckets of Tropical Fish for breeding purposes. Only Tropical Fish will do, so players will need to seek these out. First, make a bucket and fill it with water. Next, dive down underwater and keep an eye out for any of the colorful tropical fish that swim around. These only spawn in warm ocean biomes, and the player must be far enough away for them to spawn in the first place. After finding a school of Tropical Fish. get closer with the bucket in hand and use it on one of the fish. If players are successful, they should get the Bucket of Tropical Fish item.
Now find two Axolotls and feed a Bucket of Tropical Fish to each one. As long as they are both adults, they should breed with each other in the same way that other animals do. Unfortunately, these creatures can't be tamed like a Dog or Ocelot, but players can use a lead to bring them along. The baby Axolotl that spawns will take around 20 minutes to grow up, and should take the color of one of its parents (there is a rare chance for it to be blue instead). It will simply follow its parents around until adulthood.
Axolotls are also the center of a new achievement in Minecraft. Players wanting to earn "The Healing Power of Friendship!" need to "team up with an Axolotl by fighting any hostile ocean mob." It's important to note that this will only work with hostile mobs, but as long as players get the Axolotl buff after winning the fight, the achievement should pop.
Minecraft is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.