Surgeonfish

"I caught a surgeonfish! It's cobalt blue and beautiful!" —City Folk

"I caught a surgeonfish! It was a simple operation, though!" —New Leaf

Surgeonfish
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Image gallery
Real-world info
Name: Paracanthurus hepatus Family: Acanthuridae - Surgeonfish
Main appearances
DnM DnM+ AC DnMe+ iQue WW CF NL NH
Other appearances
Film HHD aF PC
Names in other languages  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown  Unknown

The Surgeonfish is an uncommon fish found in the ocean all day between the months of April and September. It can be found in both Animal Crossing: City Folk and Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It is worth 1,000 Bells. It has a small shadow size, the same size as a Horse Mackerel. In the "Bugs and Fish" window in City Folk, it says "Usually found around reefs, these will hide if startled."

Donating to the Museum

Upon donating to the Museum, Blathers will say;

"For future reference, I recommend you remember surgeonfish and coral as a set, wot wot? These bright fish have blue bodies and yellow tail fins, and they make their home in the southern seas. ...And what delightful, easygoing expressions they wear! I feel relaxed just looking at them!"

It can be found in the bottom-right tank in the aquarium, with the Clownfish and Butterflyfish, which are other types of tropical fish.

Encyclopedia Information

One the player has caught the surgeonfish, the following information can be found in the encyclopedia:

City Folk

• Size:
• Habitat:
• Season:

New Leaf

• Season: Spring-Fall
• Location: Sea

Further Information

The surgeonfish, surgeon for short, also known as the Regal fish, is a tropical fish that lives in areas such as Japan, East Africa, Samoa, New Caledonia, and even the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. It makes a great partner with the Clownfish and Butterflyfish (both bright, colorful fish). In the animated film Finding Nemo, a surgeonfish by the name of Dory helps a clownfish called Marlin find his son.

They change color when spawning, from a deep blue to a pale blue. The eggs hatch within 24 hours of fertilization, revealing small larvae with silvery abdomen. They are are inedible to humans, with a foul smelling flesh and taste, and are poisonous. They can, however, be used as a type of bait. It can easily protect itself using spines located near its tail, which extend when the fish is excited or threatened. It will slash sideways towards a predator and can cause deep wounds allowing venom to seap in, which can cause infections.