Animal Crossing: Every New Fish Coming in December 2021

December has finally come, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons players can experience the season’s changing in real-time as its in-game clock reflects the date and time set on the player’s Nintendo Switch. In addition, the appearance of the game’s fish, bugs, and materials coincide with their real-world counterparts, and lets players experience more immersive seasons as they play throughout the year. There are a total of 80 different fish in New Horizons, but players will have to fish every month of the year to catch them all as they can only be caught when they’re in season. 

However, the season reflected in Animal Crossing depends on which hemisphere players have selected for their island. Players in the Northern Hemisphere will find fish at different times of the year than those playing in the Southern Hemisphere. December ushers in the winter months for players in the Northern Hemisphere, while players in the Southern Hemisphere are getting ready for the summer fishing season. New fish have become available in both hemispheres as of December 1st, and players who missed any of these fish last year will have another chance to catch them in waters all across the island.

Shadows in Animal Crossing’s rivers, ponds, and oceans indicate a fish is swimming just below the water’s surface, and players can cast their line close to the fish to get its attention and catch it. Six sizes of shadows indicate how big the fish is, ranging from tiny to huge, which lets players know what kind of fish they could be reeling in ahead of time. Additionally, fish only spawn in certain bodies of water at certain times of the day, and players looking for specific fish should be sure to go fishing at the right place and time to reel in their prize. Players can donate their fish to Blathers, and once every fish has been donated, this wing of the museum will be complete. The 2.0 update will also unlock a new poster that players can purchase from Blathers for 5,000 Bells. In addition, the Critterpedia on the Nook Phone will keep track of which fish have been caught and which fish have been donated. Players can also check this app to see where and when each fish appears in the wild.

Animal Crossing: Every New Fish In The Northern Hemisphere

As players in the Northern Hemisphere move into Animal Crossing’s winter months, the fishing season slows down, with ten fish leaving the game after November ends. These include the Cherry Salmon, Char, Golden Trout, Mitten Crab, Guppy, Neon Tetra, Seahorse, Zebra Turkeyfish, Barred Knifejaw, and Ray. However, five new fish can be found in rivers and seas as of December, and only one will leave at the end of the month. 

• Pond Smelt: small shadow, can be caught in rivers at any time of day from December to February, sells for 500 Bells. 
• Stringfish: large shadow, can be caught in clifftop rivers between 4 am and 9 pm from December to March, sells for 15,00 Bells.
• Sea Butterfly: tiny shadow, can be caught in the sea at any time from December to March, sells for 1,000 Bells.
• Squid: medium-small shadow, can be caught in the sea at any time of day from December to August, sells for 500 Bells.
• Oarfish: huge shadow, can be caught in the sea at any time from December to May, sells for 9,000 Bells.

Additionally, players hoping to catch a Pike will have to do so this month as the Pike leaves after December. Pike can be found in rivers at any time of day and has a large shadow, and they can be sold for 1,800 Bells at Nook’s Cranny. However, after it leaves at the end of December, the Pike will return next September, so players will have another chance to catch it in the fall.

Animal Crossing: Every New Fish In The Southern Hemisphere

Summer fishing season is only just beginning as players whose Animal Crossing islands are in the Southern Hemisphere move into December. There are 14 fish returning to the game this month, and two fish will be leaving at the end of the month. In addition, the Loach, Golden Trout, and Oarfish are no longer available as of the end of November, so Southern Hemisphere players will have to wait until they return to the game next year to catch them again. 

• Giant Snakehead: large shadow, caught in ponds between 9 am and 4 pm from December to February, sells for 5,500 Bells.
• Tilapia: medium-small shadow, can be caught in rivers at any time of day from December to April, sells for 800 Bells.
• Piranha: small shadow, can be caught in rivers between 9 am, and 4 pm, as well as between 9 pm and 4 am from December to March, sells for 2,500 Bells.
• Arowana: medium-large shadow, can be caught in rivers between 4 pm and 9 am from December to March, sells for 10,000 Bells.
• Dorado: large shadow, caught in rivers between 4 am and 9 pm from December to March, sells for 15,000 Bells.
• Gar: huge shadow, caught in ponds between 4 pm and 9 am from December to March, sells for 6,000 Bells.
• Arapaima: huge shadow, caught in rivers between 4 pm and 9 am from December to March, sells for 10,000 Bells.
• Saddled Bichir: medium-large shadow, can be caught in rivers between 9 pm and 4 am from December to March, sells for 4,000 Bells.
• Ribbon Eel: thin shadow, can be caught in the sea at any time of day from December to April, sells for 600 Bells.
• Saw Shark: huge shadow with fin, caught in the sea between 4 pm and 9 am from December to March, sells for 12,000 Bells.
• Hammerhead Shark: huge shadow with fin, can be caught between 4 pm and 9 am from December to March, sells for 8,000 Bells.
• Great White Shark: huge shadow with fin, can be caught between 4 pm and 9 am from December to March, sells for 15,00 Bells.
• Whale Shark: huge shadow with fin, can be caught at any time from December to March, sells for 13,000 Bells.
• Suckerfish: medium shadow with fin, can be caught in the sea at any time from December to March, sells for 1,500 Bells.

However, the Cherry Salmon and Char will only stick around until December ends, but players who miss their chance to catch them before the year ends will only have to wait until March to see them in Animal Crossing again. These particular fish can be caught from 4 pm to 9 am in clifftop rivers and ponds and have medium-small shadows. The Cherry Salmon is worth 1,000 Bells, while the Char will net players 3,800.

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