Butterfly fish

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New Horizons fish

Napoleonfish (52) →

New Horizons fish
← (50) Surgeonfish	→ Napoleonfish (52)

Not to be confused with the sea butterfly.

Butterfly fish
Image gallery
Real-world info
Name: Chaetodon auripes (Oriental butterflyfish) Family: Chaetodontidae (butterflyfishes)
Main appearances
DnM DnM+ AC DnMe+ iQue WW CF NL NH
Other appearances
Film HHD aF PC
Names in other languages  チョウチョウウオ  耳带蝴蝶鱼  Poisson-papillon  Pez mariposa  Pesce farfalla  Рыба-бабочка  나비고기  耳帶蝴蝶魚  Poisson-papillon  Pez mariposa  Falterfisch  Koraalvlinder

The butterfly fish (formatted as the butterflyfish in City Folk) is a fish in the Animal Crossing series introduced in Animal Crossing: City Folk. It appears as a small shadow in the sea all day from mid spring to early fall.

Catch details

In City Folk

#43

"I caught a butterfly fish! I didn't even have to use a net!"

Description	These are said to use their bright colors to communicate with their peers.
Time of year	Apr – Sep
Time of day	All day
Peak times	N/A
Location	Sea
Shadow size	Small
Fish size	About 7.2 in.
Selling price	1,000 Bells
Furniture size

In New Leaf

The alternative catch quote can be seen when this fish is caught for the first time

#47

"I caught a butterfly fish! As mayor, welcome to my pockets!"

Alternate catch quote: "I caught a butterfly fish! Keep flying, fishy!"

Time of year	Apr – Sep All year (Tortimer Island)
Time of day	All day
Peak times	May – June
Location	Sea Tortimer Island
Shadow size	Small
Fish size	18 cm
Selling price	1,000 Bells
Furniture size

In Pocket Camp

#99

Event availability	None
Location	Saltwater Shores
Shadow size	Small
Fish size	15.0 cm - 21.0 cm
Rarity	★★
Catch rate	Cannot be caught at this time
Selling price	500 Bells
Request reward	1,500 Bells, 3 Friendship Points Fortune Cookie (20%), Bronze Treats (30%)

In New Horizons

#51

"I caught a butterfly fish! Did it change from a caterpillar fish?"

Time of year	North: Apr – Sep South: Oct – Mar
Time of day	All day
Location	Sea
Shadow size	Small
Rarity	Uncommon
Spawn requirement	Appears from the start of the game
Selling prices	Nook's Cranny:  1,000 Bells  C.J.:  1,500 Bells
Furniture size

Donating to the museum

In City Folk

Upon donating the butterfly fish to the museum, Blathers will say;

"This is a butterfly fish, but the truth is that there are over 100 varieties of this creature... They live in the oceans of the far south, and each variety has its own distinctive coloration. These fish are most often seen socializing in groups among stalks of coral. Rather chatty, wot?"

It can be found in the back tank with the other sea fish.

In New Leaf

Upon donation to the museum, the information board in front of the tank that houses the butterfly fish says:

"Butterfly fish are considered very cute pets, popular because of their beautiful nature. They glide through the warm seas by flapping their yellow bodies as if they were butterflies. Their diets are surprisingly hardy, as they gobble coral and poisonous anemones using narrow mouths. Butterfly-fish couples have been known to live together for 10 years or more. Often they can be seen swimming around in pairs. You'll likely never find a better underwater romance."

In New Horizons

When donating to Blathers or selecting "Tell me about this!" in New Horizons, he will provide the following information about the fish:

"Ah, the butterfly fish is just charming with its beautiful colors and elegant movements. I refer to it as a butterfly fish, but it's actually a grouping in which there are over 100 types! These beautiful aquatic friends swim in schools amid coral, fluttering back and forth with the tides. The sheer awe one must experience when witnessing such a sight. It must be a dream! So much better than actual butterflies..."

Fishing Tourney

During a Fishing Tourney, when given a butterfly fish, Chip will say the following dialogue.

In City Folk

"Check it out. I like my butterflyfish seared with a macadamia-nut butter. Nyuuuk nyuk nyuk nyuk!"

In New Leaf

"Now with a butterfly fish, you want to salt and then grill that guy right up. I'm not that picky, of course, so I'm just gonna scarf it raw! YUM!"

Gallery

For more images, view this subject's gallery.

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  Animal Crossing: City Folk

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  Animal Crossing: New Leaf

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  Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Real-world information

The real life butterfly fish.

This butterfly fish is the oriental butterflyfish (Chaetodon auripes). There are many species of butterfly fish, some of which bear a resemblance to the barred knifejaw. More information on this topic is available at Wikipedia.

Names in other languages

	チョウチョウウオ chouchou uo	(Oriental) butterflyfish
	나비고기 nabigogi	(Oriental) butterflyfish
	耳带蝴蝶鱼 ěrdài húdiéyú	Oriental butterflyfish (lit. "Ear-stripe butterflyfish")
	耳帶蝴蝶魚 Unknown
	Рыба-бабочка Ryba-babochka	Chaetodon (genus of butterflyfish)
	Koraalvlinder	Coral butterfly
	Falterfisch	Butterfly fish
	Pez mariposa	—
	Poisson-papillon	—
	Pesce farfalla	—

Pocket Camp fish

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