The protagonist, Ichthyander, is the adopted son of a doctor-scientist, Doctor Salvator, who saved the boy’s life by implanting him with shark gills, granting him the ability to live underwater.

Conflict arises as Zurita, Guttiere's suitor and eventual husband, discovers Ichthyander’s secret and seeks to exploit his underwater abilities to harvest pearls.

Although primarily a lost-love tragedy akin to Romeo and Juliet, the film also critiques greed and the exploitation of natural resources, reflecting the influence of Socialist Realism.

[8][9] Hollywood filmmaker Quentin Tarantino cited Amphibian Man as one of his favourite Russian films, stating that he grew up watching an English dubbed version often shown on American television in the 1970s.

[11][12][13] Indie Cinema Magazine noted that both have a similar plot, the use of the name "Amphibian Man" in both films, the Soviet connection in both stories, and the 1962 setting.