Butterfly fish

Not to be confused with Sea Butterfly

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

"I caught a butterfly fish! As mayor, welcome to my pockets!" —New Leaf (if mayor)

"I caught a butterfly fish! Keep flying, fishy!" —New Leaf (if not mayor/visiting another town)

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

Butterfly Fish
Image gallery
Real-world info
Name: Chaetodon auripes Family: Chaetodontidae - Butterflyfish
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 Butterfly Fish (チョウチョウウオ, Chōchō̄o) is a small, yellow fish that appears in the ocean during April to September. It is uncommon. It can be found all day long. This fish will sell for 1,000 Bells, and must not be confused with the Sea Butterfly, which also sells for 1,000 Bells, but appears in winter. The Butterflyfish appears in Animal Crossing: City Folk, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Donation 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 ocean fish.

In New Leaf

Upon donation to the museum, the information board in front of the tank that houses the Butterflyfish 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 the museum, Blathers will say the following:

"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

New Leaf

Chip will say this when given a Butterfly Fish:

"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!"

Further information

File:Butterflyfish.jpg

The real life butterfly fish.

This butterfly fish is a Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish (Forcipiger longirostris). In the game, it does not have the long nose. There are many species of butterfly fish, some of which bear a resemblance to the barred knifejaw.