With just a little over a month left before a change of seasons and the one-year anniversary of the release of Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players are likely getting close to completing the galleries of their Museums, meaning they have found and caught nearly every possible species of bug, fish, and deep sea creature in the game at least once. As players in the Northern hemisphere prepare for spring, and players in the Southern hemisphere ready themselves once more for fall, many fish will begin to migrate and allow players to catch anything they might have missed when the game first launched in March 2020. February marks a slow period for islands in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, with very few new creatures arriving.
There are 80 total species of fish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Of these, 31 are available in February in the Northern hemisphere, and 60 in the Southern hemisphere. While no new fish will arrive to islands in the Northern hemisphere this month, players in the Southern hemisphere can look forward to three new arrivals. There are also some fish players will want to find before the end of February, if they haven't already. Two fish will no longer be available in the Northern hemisphere after February 28, and five will leave the Southern hemisphere. Here are the new fish Southern hemisphere players can catch in Animal Crossing: New Horizons in February, and every fish leaving once the month ends.
Every New Fish Coming To Animal Crossing: New Horizons In February
Players will need to make sure they have a good fishing rod, either purchased or crafted. They will also likely want to craft some fish bait to encourage more fish to spawn in a single location, increasing the chances of pulling in a new or especially rare catch.
None of the new fish heading to the Southern hemisphere are especially expensive. However, to get the most money for their catches, players can wait until CJ appears on the island. He will always pay 30% more than what Timmy and Tommy at Nook's Cranny can.
The three new fish coming to the Southern hemisphere in February are:
- Soft-Shelled Turtle: Scarce; Found in the River; Casts a Medium-Large shadow; Active from 4 p.m. to 9 a.m.; Worth 3,750 bells each
- Moray Eel: Rare; Found in the Sea; Casts a Long, Thin shadow; Active All Day; Worth 2,000 bells each
- Ray: Scarce; Found in the Sea; Casts a Very Large shadow; Active from 4 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Worth 3,000 bells each
At the end of February, five fish will leave the Southern hemisphere. These are:
- Killifish
- Frog
- Giant Snakehead
- Napoleonfish
- Squid
Players who still have not caught these creatures may want to prioritize finding them. Otherwise, they will need to wait another year or time travel to complete their Museum collection.
After February 28, players in the Northern hemisphere will no longer have the opportunity to catch the following fish:
- Pond Smelt
- Blowfish
If players have not donated one of each of these to the Museum, February might be a good time to do so. As the seasons start to change, players in the Northern hemisphere can once more expect to find a wider variety of fish on and around their islands.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available for the Nintendo Switch.