ドンコ 塘鳢鱼 Gobie d'eau douce Gobio de río Ghiozzo Одонтобутис
동사리 塘鱧魚 Gobie d'eau douce Gobio de río Flussgrundel Zoetwatergrondel
The Freshwater Goby (ドンコ, Donko) is a rare fish that can be caught in the river in every Animal Crossing series game. It has a small shadow, and it appears all year round. It can be caught between 4 PM and 9 AM.
"This is one of those fish that seem to mysteriously disappear from time to time. Drives fishermen batty, wot! Have no fear, dear friend! You're leaving this beauty in very good wings, hmmmm? Hoo! Owl humor. Hoo hoo!"
In Wild World
"A friend of mine claims that freshwater goby tastes fantastic on pizza. What a loon, eh wot?"
In City Folk
"This round little fish may look like a mild-mannered goby at first...but it's actually quite aggressive. The freshwater goby is known for its tendency to try to eat anything that will fit in its mouth... Rather shocking, really. I'm quite glad this little piggy's mouth is nowhere near owl-sized, eh wot?"
After donation, the freshwater goby can be found in the middle-left tank.
In New Leaf
An information board in the aquarium will display this description of the freshwater goby after donation:
"These short and stocky river-dwelling fish have a lot of slender teeth for tearing apart other fish. Freshwater gobies dig holes under rocks in riverbeds to make nests for eggs, which the males guard. Other fish breeds take advantage of this protective quality and often lay eggs in goby nests."
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:
"The freshwater goby is an unassuming specimen. But beneath that calm, fish exterior, true gluttony resides! It will eat anything that will fit in its mouth...And its mouth is quite the gaping maw, so I recommend you refrain from drawing attention to yourself!"
Once donated to the museum, the Freshwater Goby can be found in the second level of the waterfall tank with the Yellow Perch and Pale Chub.
Fishing Tourney
During a Fishing Tourney, when given a Freshwater Goby, Chip will say the following dialogue.
In City Folk
"I remember Momma's freshwater goby special! PERFECT soy sauce on it! Nyuuuk nyuk nyuk nyuk!"
In New Leaf
"Can't go wrong with freshwater goby, no, sir. Boil it, fry it... Doesn't matter! Best in a soup, though. Or, you know, just eat 'em raw like I do! That's how real fishers do it! OH YES, YUM!"
The freshwater goby is typically a native fish to tropical and temperate areas of Asia. There are numerous types of these so-called fish, known as haaze in Japan. All live in freshwater rivers where they scavenge the riverbed for prey.