Rarest Fish in Animal Crossing

One of the most common, and sometimes most frustrating, activities in Animal Crossing is fishing. How many times have I sat with my finger hovering over the A button, with bated breath, waiting for the bloop of the fish taking the bait, only to reel in yet another sea bass? Far too many. Yet you can’t beat the suspense and thrill of seeing your catch leap out of the water into your hands. Especially when it’s a huge rare fish you’ve been hunting for weeks.

Each Animal Crossing game has added more and more species of fish, with New Horizons having 80. Fish can be found in the ocean, rivers, and ponds. Most species only appear at certain times in certain seasons. At any given time, you’ll be able to catch the most common fish, like sea bass, olive flounder, and black bass, some common seasonal fish, and some rarer varieties.

These rare fish are the ones you want to focus on. They’re worth a lot more and are usually the coolest. The rarest fish include blue marlin, coelacanth, and string fish.

How to Fish

Before examining all the rare fish, let’s review how fishing works. Sometimes in bodies of water, you’ll see tear-drop-shaped shadows. These are fish. You can use a fishing rod to catch them.

When you find a fish you want to catch, stand in front of it and press A while holding the fishing rod. This will cast your bobber into the water. You want to get the bobber close to the fish’s face, so it notices it and begins to bite. Otherwise, it’ll keep swimming. You might need to reel the bobber in, adjust your positioning and recast a couple of times to find the right spot. Don’t reel in the line if the fish is looking at it. This will cause the fish to swim away.

Once your fish has noticed the bait, it will begin to bite. Each time the fish touches the lure, it will bob in the water and make a noise. This is the fish nibbling but not biting. If you reel in your line, it will scare off the fish. Wait until the bite where the bobber goes completely under the water, and there is a louder splashing noise. Then press A as fast as you can. If you don’t push fast enough, the fish will leave.

It takes time to build the reaction time to catch fish. I suggest always playing with your sound and focusing on that. It’s the most obvious hint that the fish has bitten. Also, try to relax. If you are too tense, you’ll be more likely to overreact and reel in too early. Be attentive but not on edge. You’ll build these skills with time, so don’t worry when you first begin.

Identifying Fish

While you can’t know which fish you’re about to catch, it is worthwhile to understand how to use clues to narrow down what fish it might be so you know if you want to catch it. You can use four major factors to identify a fish—date, time, location, and size.

Each month begins a new mini-season, and the rooster of fish will change. It won’t change completely; some fish are year-round, some stay for a few months, and some only stay for one. You can use the month to begin will a list of possible fish.

The next thing you want to look at is the time. Some fish will only appear at certain times of the day. The rarest are usually only found at night or early in the morning. Taking the list of in-season fish and removing any that don’t appear during that time will further narrow your list.

Then there’s the location. There are generally three places you can find fish, with a few more specific areas for some fish. The three big ones are the ocean, rivers, and ponds. You can’t change the oceans, but in New Horizons, you control the abundance and size of your ponds and rivers. To spawn fish, a river or pond must contain at least a 3X3 square.

The ocean has two special places to find fish, the pier and the estuary. The pier is the dock off the beach where Kapp’n stays, and the estuary is where the rivers and ocean meet. Any fish in the ocean can spawn in these places, but certain fish will appear here exclusively. The river has one special location. Some fish will only appear on clifftops. This means the river has to be located at the second or third height elevation.

The final identification method is size. There are 6 possible sizes; there aren’t official labels for the sizes but for this guide, I will use tiny, small, medium, large, extra large, and huge. There is also a special class of fish with fins. They can only be found during the summer, and they have a triangular fin poking out from the thickest part of their shadow.

Rare Fish

Arowana

• Size: Large
• Location: River
• Dates: June-September
• Times: 4 pm-9 am
• Price: 12,000

The Arowana is a long orange fish with a white underbelly and black patterning on its head and back. It has rounded fins and a large mouth. They are a subspecies of the bony-tongue fish family, named for the bone on the floor of their mouth that acts as a tongue.

Species of Arowanas can be found in Southeast Asia and in the Amazon. The first time I caught the Arowana, I had caught my first Arapaima not long before. This caused me to confuse the two names for months. I’d catch one and think, “Oh, it’s an arowpaima!” or some variation of the two.

In New Horizons, they have special attention because there is a Golden Arowana Model recipe. When donating the fish to Blathers, he will tell you about its incredible 6-foot leap and its status on the endangered species list. Once donated, you’ll be able to find the fish in the deep river tank at the aquarium.

Blue Marlin

• Size: Huge
• Location: Pier
• Dates: November-April and July-September
• Times: All day
• Price: 12,000

The Blue Marlin has a distinctive look with its long, pointy nose. Its tall dorsal fin runs along its long body. The fin and back are a dark blue that shifts to yellow at the sides, then white on the stomach. Faint white stripes run along its side. In real life, you can find marlins in the Atlantic ocean. I’ve been trying to catch a Blue Marlin for the past few months to get the Carpaccio di Marlin Blu recipe since it’s the only one I’m missing.

After donating the fish, Blathers will describe its prowess as a fighting fish, mentioning its popularity in sport fishing and its ability to fight whales! He’ll also explain the shape of the fish with its lack of scales and angular body. It can be found in the open ocean tank of the aquarium alongside the sharks.

Coelacanth

• Size: Huge
• Location: Ocean during rain
• Dates: All year
• Times: All day
• Price: 18,000

Coelacanths can be found near Indonesia and in the Indian Ocean. They are thick fish with dark blue, nearly black scales and white specks. They have three sets of rounded fins along their belly and two on their back. The most notable aspect of the coelacanth is its evolution. It has few living relatives and hasn’t changed much in 400 million years.

The first time I saw rain in my game, I scoured the beaches for the biggest shadows. It only took a couple of fish to reel in my first Coelacanth, and I was thrilled, especially since it took me months to get one in New Leaf.

Animal Crossing leans hard into the idea that the coelacanth is a living fossil. Blathers tells you they were extinct for a long time and jokes that they might belong in the fossil exhibit instead of the fish tanks. You can find the coelacanth in the deep sea tank at the far end of the fish exhibit.

Dorado

• Size: Very large
• Location: River
• Dates: June-September
• Times: 4 am-9 pm
• Price: 18,000

The Dorado, also known as Golden Freshwater Dorado, river tiger, or jaw characin, has pale yellow and brown scales. It inhabits warm waters in South and Central America. It has a thick front that tapers to a narrow tail. Its scientific name is salminus brasiliensis, but it is not related to salmon or saltwater dorado, which is also in the game labeled as Mahi-Mahi. This name overlap caused me a lot of confusion while researching all these fish.

Blathers will describe the origin of the fish’s name, as Dorado is Spanish for gold. He’ll also comment on the impressive size and ponder what the fish might eat. It can be found in the deep river tank of the aquarium.

Gar

• Size: Very large
• Location: Pond
• Dates: June-September
• Times: 4 pm-9 am
• Price: 7,200

The Gar has a long, flat mouth and a smooth body. While Gar fossils have been found on every continent except Australia and Antarctica, living Gar are only found in North America.

Blathers will describe the Gar’s sharp teeth, armored scales, and ability to take gulps of air. Once donated, you’ll be able to find it in the shallow river tank of the aquarium.

Giant Snakehead

• Size: Large
• Location: Pond
• Dates: June-August
• Times: 9 am-4 pm
• Price: 6,600

As the name would suggest, the head of the Giant Snakehead resembles the wide head of a snake. Instead of transitioning into a long, slim body, it widens into a rather chunky fish with long fins. It has also been called the Giant Mudfish and Toman Harimau. It is native to Southeast Asia.

When donating, Blathers will describe the behaviors of the Giant Snakefish. He praises its resiliency and ability to burrow in the mud to keep warm. Then you can find the fish in the shallow river tank of the fish exhibit.

Great White Shark

• Size: Very large with a fin
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: June-September
• Times: 4 pm-9 am
• Price: 18,000

Probably the most well-known fish on this list, the Great White Shark, needs to introduction. It’s a huge predator known for its hunting prowess and rows of sharp teeth. As an apex predator, nothing hunts the Great White except the occasional orca. You can find these sharks on the coasts of every major ocean.

When donating, Blathers will tell you about the teeth of the shark. It loses its teeth regularly since biting is its main method of interacting with things, so it regrows its teeth regularly. You can find it in the open ocean tank of the museum.

Moray Eel

• Size: Long and thin
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: August-October
• Times: All day
• Price: 2,400

The Moray Eel’s body is very long with a light brown head, and dark brown stripes that get closer together until the tail is entirely brown. Their jaws extend farther back in their head than you would initially think, so they can open their mouths extremely wide. They can live in both freshwater and saltwater, depending on the species. They prefer shallow waters, like coral reefs, with plenty of rocks and plants.

The moray eel is one of the two fish with a differently shaped shadow. Rather than being teardrop shaped, it is long and thin, resembling the eel’s famous shape. Blathers will tell you about the behavior of the fish. It is rather cowardly, and hides in caves, trying to avoid fights. You can find it in the largest ocean tank.

Nibble Fish

• Size: Tiny
• Location: River
• Dates: May-September
• Times: 9 am-4 pm
• Price: 1,800

These tiny fish are located in Western Asia and are also known as Red Garra or Doctor Fish. They have brown or grey scales and semi-translucent fins.

After donation, Blathers will tell you about the most common use of the Nibble Fish spa treatments. The fish will eat dead skin from feet and hands, much to Blathers’s discomfort. You can find them in the small fish tank of the aquarium.

Pike

• Size: Very large
• Location: River
• Dates: September-December
• Times: All day
• Price: 2,160

Pikes have long green bodies and pointed mouths filled with sharp teeth. They are primarily green with lighter spots patterning their bodies that help them blend in with underwater weeds. They are predominantly found in Europe, North America, and Northeast Asia.

Blathers tells you about its predatory nature, feeding on fish, small mammals, and waterfowl when you donate it. It stays in the shallow river tank at the aquarium.

Pop-Eyed Goldfish

• Size: Tiny
• Location: Pond
• Dates: All year
• Times: 9 am-4 pm
• Price: 1,560

Like many other goldfish, the Pop-Eyed Goldfish has a small body with large, elegant fins. As you might guess, what sets these fish apart is their large eyes that pop out from their sockets. They are most often kept as pets and are quite popular due to their interesting appearance and low maintenance. They come in various colors, but in Animal Crossing, they are black.

When you give this fish to Blathers he will describe their infamous eyes. When the fish are born, they appear like normal goldfish, but as they grow, their eyes do, too, until they pop out. It can be found in the small river fish tank in the museum.

Ranchu Goldfish

• Size: Small
• Location: Pond
• Dates: All year
• Times: 9 am-4 pm
• Price: 5,400

The Ranchu Goldfish is another variant of goldfish with a distinct difference. Instead of a tiny body and large fins, the Ranchu is comically large, looking almost swollen. In Animal Crossing, they have white and orange scales with black dappling. They come from Japan and are also often kept as pets.

I had never heard of Ranchu Goldfish before catching one in Animal Crossing. Once I looked up pictures of the real fish, I was impressed by the strange shapes it came in. I had been sure the game emphasized the proportions.

In a similar vein to the Pop-Eyed Goldfish, Blathers tells you what makes this fish distinct from other goldfish and how they grow into unique shapes as they mature. After donating, you’ll find it swimming around in the small river fish tank.

Ray

• Size: Very large
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: August-November
• Times: 4 am-9 pm
• Price: 3,600

One of my favorite fish is the ray. I love their unique, flat shape and smooth bodies. Anytime there’s a ray tank at a zoo or aquarium, I drag my family over to it immediately. There are several kinds of rays, the one in Animal Crossing appears to be a stingray due to its brown coloration, flat head, and pointed tail. They can be found in most tropical and subtropical waters.

When it’s donated, Blathers will tell you about the shape of the fish and its relation to the shark. However, their connection to sharks is currently being debated based on new fossil evidence. He’ll then follow up this fun fact with a warning of their venomous nature. After donation, it’ll be swimming around in the largest ocean tank.

Ribbon Eel

• Size: Long and thin
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: June-October
• Times: All day
• Price: 720

Ribbon eels are some of the most fun and colorful fish with their bright blue and yellow colors and squiggly body. Yet, I have a personal problem with them. When I first played New Leaf, I would stock up on Ribbon Eels at Kapp’n’s island, thinking they were expensive. Then I learned they only sell for 720 bells. I thought their rarity and cool look would bring up the cost, but I was wrong, and I’ve never let that go.

Blathers will tell you about the Ribbon Eel’s relation to the Moray Eel and the whimsy of its unique appearance. You can find this colorful fish in the coral reef tank.

Suckerfish

• Size: Ocean
• Location: Large with fin
• Dates: June-September
• Times: All day
• Price: 1,800

The Suckerfish, or Remora, has a flat head with a modified dorsal fin that acts as a sucker. They use this to form a symbiotic relationship with bigger marine animals and control the suction by swimming forward or backward. They are found mostly in tropical waters but sometimes end up in temperate or coastal waters if they are attached to a fish wandering to those areas. It always takes me a second to see the remora properly. The flat head always makes me think they are swimming upside down.

When giving this fish to Blathers, he’ll tell you about its ability to use its sucker to stick to larger marine animals. This benefits both animals since the Suckerfish eats parasites from the larger fish. You can find the Suckerfish in the open ocean tank, sticking to the bottom of another shark.

Surgeonfish

• Size: Small
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: April-September
• Times: All day
• Price: 1,200

You most likely recognize the Surgeonfish from Finding Nemo. There are several variations of Surgeonfish, the most popular being the Royal Blue Tang, with can be found in Animal Crossing and in our movies as Dory. Surgeonfish are identified by the needle-like appendages at the base of their tail and their bright, tropical colors.

You’ll learn about the deceptively dangerous nature of the Surgeonfish when you give it to Blathers. He’ll tell you that while it has bright colors like its coral reef companions, it has razor-sharp fins. The Surgeonfish stays with its colorful friends in the coral reef tank.

Tuna

• Size: Huge
• Location: Pier
• Dates: November-April
• Times: All day
• Price: 8,400

Tuna are huge fish found in warm waters and often commercially fished for food. They can come in varying colors, but the one in Animal Crossing has a silver body with a blue back and a yellow stripe on its side. They also have differently shaped fins across the subspecies. Here we see two thin, short fins with sharp points. Catching a Tuna in Animal Crossing was the first time I had seen the actual fish instead of meat. I was floored by how big it was and immediately looked up pictures to verify the size.

Blathers will tell you about the curious sleeping habits of tuna. When they sleep, they continue swimming because they need to continue swimming to be ab;e to breathe. After donation, you can find the tuna with the other huge fish in the open ocean tank.

The Rarest Fish

Arapaima

• Size: Huge
• Location: River
• Dates: June-September
• Times: 4 pm-9 am
• Price: 12,000

The Arapaima is exceptionally long with a surprisingly small tail fin. It is primarily dark gray with red markings towards its tail. They can be found in the Amazon and the basins of South America. Their numbers are dwindling in their native habitats due to overfishing. There are attempts to introduce them into new environments, but they often become invasive species.

Upon donation, Blathers will tell you that the Arapaima is the largest freshwater fish and lives in family units where the father and mother work together to protect the babies. It can be found in the deep river tank of the aquarium.

Barreleye

• Size: Small
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: All year
• Times: 9 pm-4 am
• Price: 18,000

Barreleyes have the creepiest appearance of any of the fish. In fact, they are often called Spook Fish. They are small and black with translucent heads, making some of their organs visible. Their eyes have an incredible range of motion, protruding forward and rotating upward. They live in the deep ocean, at the limit of light penetration. This was one of the last fish I had to catch, despite the fact it is available year-round. I stayed up late every night for a week looking for the smallest shadows I could find.

Blathers will tell you about the strange translucent head and eyes. He explains that the head is clear to allow the fish to see directly above but is still unnerved by the deep-sea appearance. You’ll be able to find the fish in the deep-sea tank of the aquarium.

Giant Trevally

• Size: Very large
• Location: Pier
• Dates: May-October
• Times: All day
• Price: 5,400

The Giant Trevally has, as expected, a large body with a very blocky head and pointed body. The tail narrows and then spreads into a wider tail fin. It lives in the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific Ocean. They primarily eat smaller fish but have been known to hunt crustaceans (crabs and lobsters), mollusks (clams), and cephalopods (octopus and squid).

After giving the Giant Trevally to Blathers, he’ll describe the fish’s ability to hunt. They have impressive strategies to distract prey and are even skilled enough to catch birds. Much to Blathers’s dismay. It is kept in the open ocean tank.

Golden Trout

• Size: Medium
• Location: River clifftop
• Dates: March-May and September-November
• Times: 4 pm-9 am
• Price: 18,000

The Golden Trout has bright, eye-catching scales. The name suits their rich yellow color. They also have a faint red stripe and dark spots patterning their sides and fins. The fish are native to California and are so prevalent they have an entire creek named after them. They are also the fish most frustrating to me. I’ve been playing New Horizons since release, and I have only been able to catch two of these suckers, which isn’t great when I’m trying to collect all of the fish models from CJ.

Blathers has a lot of appreciation for this fish, describing its beauty and rarity due to its location. Once donated, it spends its time in the top tank of the running water section of the aquarium.

Hammerhead Shark

• Size: Very large with a fin
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: June-September
• Times: 4 pm-9 am
• Price: 9,600

The Hammerhead is second only to the Great White. Everyone can identify a hammerhead from its distinctive wide head, shaped like the end of a hammer. Though other factors separate the Hammerhead from other share species. Rather than being fully solitary, they swim in schools during the day and then separate to hunt at night. They also have disproportionally small mouths.

After donation, Blathers will explain the purpose of the Hammerhead to you. He says it allows the shark to have a 360-degree range of vision, which is very helpful in the open ocean, where threats could come from any angle. Once donated, you can see this shark in the open ocean tank with all his shark friends.

Mahi-Mahi

• Size: Very large
• Location: Pier
• Dates: May-October
• Times: All day
• Price: 7,200

The Mahi Mahi is a species found in tropical waters and is well-known for its turquoise and yellow coloration. Its head is massive, and the body tapers down to the tail. It is sometimes called the Dorado, causing a lot of confusion for me when I was researching the Dorado earlier in this list. 

Blathers enjoys telling you about the perceived personality of this fish. He describes their face as somewhat cute and attributes their expressions to their tropical lives. You can find them swimming with the other large fish in the open ocean exhibit.

Napolean Fish

• Size: Huge
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: July-August
• Times: 4 am-9 pm
• Price: 12,000

I think the Napolean Fish is one of the goofiest-looking fish in the game. It has a huge mouth that looks like lips and a protruding forehead. Its scales are a beautiful shade of teal and blue that can sometimes be shocking to see on an animal in real life. They are found predominantly off the east coast of Africa.

When donated, Blathers will also make comments about its strange appearance. He will then mention that it’s endangered and emphasize the need to protect its habitat. Once donated, it swims around in the open ocean tank.

Oarfish

• Size: Huge
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: December-May
• Times: All day
• Price: 10,800

Few fish gave me the same shock as the Oarfish the first time I reeled them in. This guy is insanely long, being able to grow up to 36ft. They may have helped to originate tales of sea serpents in the early days of sailing. A red fin runs the length of its back and protrudes into a much longer fin at the forehead. They live across the world in any saltwater outside of the poles. This was probably the first truly rare fish I caught, and I was not expecting it. I audibly gasped when I reeled it in, and it just kept coming. 

When given this fish, Blathers emphasizes its size and how that could have created many a tall tale for sailors. You’ll be able to find it in the museum with the other strange fish in the deep sea tank.

Ocean Sunfish

• Size: Very large with a fin
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: July-September
• Times: 4 am-9 pm
• Price: 4,800

I said the Napolean Fish was the goofiest, but it shares that title with the Ocean Sunfish. It’s shaped like a massive disc with a fin protruding toward the back and the face on the very edge. It looks like no thoughts are going through its mind. It doesn’t even have a tail. Luckily for them, they have very few predators due to their size.

During the donation, Blathers will tell you about the fish’s strange shape and relaxed behavior. He says they often just ride the currents without a care in the world. They can be found hanging out in the open ocean tank.

Saddled Bichir

• Size: Large
• Location: River
• Dates: June-September
• Times: 9 pm-4 am
• Price: 4,800

The Saddled Bichir looks like a fish dinosaur. It has a row of spines along its back. They look like a bunch of triangles, exactly the way a child would draw the spines of a dinosaur. The fish has a primitive pair of lungs, so it can take in air and can stay out of the water for a long time as long as its skin remains moist. They live 

Blathers casually mentions the look of the Saddled Bichir but then focuses on its senses. Since it has very poor eyesight, it finds its prey through scent. It can be found in the deep river tank of the museum.

Saw Shark

• Size: Very large with a fin
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: June-September
• Times: 4 pm-9 am
• Price: 14,400

We can make a whole toolbox of fish between the Hammerhead and the Saw Shark. The Saw Shark gets its name from its long, serrated nose. The rest of their body is quite thin, and they don’t have the same bulk as the other sharks in New Horizons. They are found worldwide but are most common in the Indian Ocean and the southern parts of the Pacific Ocean. 

Blathers will give you an explanation of the purpose of the Saw Shark’s snout. He says it’s used to dig prey from the sand and slash at them. He jokes that it uses its saw more like a shovel or sword. You can find this fish in the largest ocean tank.

Stringfish

• Size: Very large
• Location: River clifftop
• Dates: December-March
• Times: 4 pm-9 am
• Price: 18,000

The Stringfish is a kind of salmon found in Northeast Asia. They have long bodies that shift from green to pale pink. Their population numbers have steadily declined as their habitats are used for oil, logging, and agriculture.

You’ll learn about this fish’s life cycle when you give it to Blathers. He’ll tell you that it grows slowly and lives about 15 years. After donating, you can see it in the museum’s second tank of the running river section.

Whale Shark

• Size: Very large with a fin
• Location: Ocean
• Dates: June-September
• Times: All day
• Price: 15,600

This is my favorite fish in New Horizons. Whenever I catch one, the wide, dopey mouth makes me smile. In the wild, these sharks live in warm, tropical waters near the surface. They typically live to be incredibly old, often having life spans between 80 to 130 years. They’ve got large, flat heads and heavy-set brown bodies covered in white specks.

Blathers makes a point to tell you about how different the Whale Shark is from its shark cousins. It isn’t a hunting predator and instead filter-feeds of microorganisms like plankton. He’ll also point out that they are the largest fish species able to grow up to 60 feet. Your donated Whal Shark will swim around the ocean tank with its more aggressive cousins.

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Continue reading:

• Animal Crossing Fish Guide
• Animal Crossing Roof Colors Guide
• Animal Crossing Bugs Guide
  
• Wildest Dreams DIY

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Mika Zans

Mika has been a gamer for as long as he can remember, with Pokemon being his gateway game that has created a lifelong addiction. Since then Mika has gravitated towards the more chilled-out and relaxed games out there like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, and Harvest Moon to name a few. Outside of his love for gaming, Mika is an avid collector and spends an extortionate amount of cash on Build-a-Bears, plushies and action figures!

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