Animal Crossing: New Horizons Fish. Game vs Real Life

With Animal Crossing: New Horizons skyrocketing in popularity as so many of us have been confined to our homes for our own health and safety, one of the many things that can be done to explore and make some bells (the in-game currency) is fishing! It’s easy to become immersed in the graphics of a virtual world, but have you ever wondered how accurate the creators of Animal Crossing were when they crafted these critters for their games?

Well now you know! Here is an alphabetical list of every fish that you can catch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and what they look like in real life!
The numbers listed by the names indicate their Critterpedia number.

 

Anchovy (#56)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Angelfish (#36)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arapaima (#44)

 

 

 

 

 

Arowana (#41)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barred Knifejaw (#58)

Common Name: Striped Beakfish

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barreleye (#79)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Betta (#37)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bitterling (#1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Bass (#22)

Common Name: Largemouth Bass

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blowfish (#54)

Common Name: Porcupinefish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue Marlin (#67)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bluegill (#20)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Butterfly Fish (#51)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carp (#5)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Catfish (#18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Char (#28)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cherry Salmon (#27)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clownfish (#49)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coelacanth (#80)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crawfish (#11)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crucian Carp (#3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dab (#61)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dace (#4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dorado (#42)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Football Fish (#77)

Common Name: Anglerfish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Freshwater Goby (#16)

Common Name: Dark Sleeper

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frog (#15)

Common Name: Common Water Frog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gar (#43)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giant Snakehead (#19)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giant Trevally (#68)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Trout (#29)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goldfish (#7)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Great White Shark (#74)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guppy (#34)

Common Name: Purple Queen Guppy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hammerhead Shark (#73)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Horse Mackerel (#57)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Killifish (#10)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

King Salmon (#32)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Koi (#6)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loach (#17)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mahi-Mahi (#69)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mitten Crab (#33)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moray Eel (#64)

Common Name: Giant Moray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Napoleonfish (#52)

Common Name: Humphead Wrasse

 

 

 

 

 

 

Neon Tetra (#38)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nibble Fish (#35)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oarfish (#78)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ocean Sunfish (#70)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Olive Flounder (#62)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pale Chub (#2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pike (#24)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Piranha (#40)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pond Smelt (#25)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pop-Eyed Goldfish (#8)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Puffer Fish (#55)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rainbowfish (#39)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ranchu Goldfish (#9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ray (#71)

Common Name: Southern Stingray

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Red Snapper (#60)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ribbon Eel (#65)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saddled Bichir (#45)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salmon (#31)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saw Shark (#72)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sea Bass (#52)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sea Butterfly (#47)

Common Name: Sea Angel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sea Horse (#48)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snapping Turtle (#13)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Soft-Shelled Turtle (#12)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Squid (#63)

Common Name: Caribbean Reef Squid

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stringfish (#30)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sturgeon (#46)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Suckerfish (#76)

Common Name: Remora

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Surgeonfish (#50)

Common Names: Blue Tang, Blue Hippo Tang

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sweetfish (#26)

Common Name: Ayu Sweetfish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tadpole (#14)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tilapia (#23)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuna (#66)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whale Shark (#75)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow Perch (#21)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Zebra Turkeyfish (#53)

Common Name: Zebra Lionfish

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And there you have it! If you want to learn more about any of these fish, please feel free to drop it in the comments or send me a message so I can put it in the topic log!

 

 

*All ACNH Critterpedia images are created and owned by Nintendo.
*All real-life photos were collected via Google Images searches. If you own one of these images and wish to be credited or it to be removed, please contact with proof of ownership and I will respond appropriately.
*No copyright infringement intended.