How to catch a Zebra Turkeyfish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Becoming a master fisher in Animal Crossing: New Horizons requires a lot of hard work and patience. There are 80 different varieties of scaly critters swimming in the game’s waters. Some are extremely rare and worth thousands of Bells while others only spawn in the game during certain months, like the elusive Zebra Turkeyfish.

The spiky, medium-sized sea-dweller is a seasonal fish that players will need to catch if they want to complete the fish section of their Critterpedia and earn 500 Bells. Depending on what hemisphere an island was created in, the Zebra Turkeyfish may not be available for months.

But don’t snap your fishing pole just yet. Even if you just missed the Zebra Turkeyfish on your island there’s still a way to reel it in and add it to your museum.

When to catch the Zebra Turkeyfish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The Zebra Turkeyfish isn’t as rare as the Stringfish, for example. You can catch it at any time of the day so don’t worry about setting an alarm for this fishing excursion.

However, it’ll only appear at Northern Hemisphere islands between April and November, and can be caught in Southern Hemisphere islands between May and October. That means Northerners will soon begin spotting the Zebra Turkeyfish on their island but Southerners have to wait another month to catch a Zebra Turkeyfish.

If you can’t wait until May, consider traveling to a friend’s island that’s in the Northern Hemisphere and fish there. You keep everything you catch in the game’s multiplayer mode, which can give you easy access to animals, plants, and crops that are rare on your island.

Where do Zebra Turkeyfish live in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

The Zebra Turkeyfish can only be caught in the ocean, so make sure to visit a sandy beach if you’re on the hunt for this thorny sea-critter. Fishing anywhere else won’t work.

It might take a couple of tries, but once you’ve got it you can either donate the Zebra Turkeyish to the museum or sell it to Timmy and Tommy Nook for 500 Bells if you’re strapped for cash.

How to catch the Zebra Turkeyfish in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

You’ll need a few supplies before you haul in a Zebra Turkeyfish.

Equip your trusty fishing rod, which New Horizons asks you to craft almost immediately after you start the game. Then you’ll want to head down to a beach and search for manila clams hiding in the sand, which can be used to make fish bait.

Clams spurt out water in the sand and can be dug up using your shovel. Each of these mollusks can be crafted into one packet of bait, which will make catching the Zebra Turkeyfish a breeze.

Zebra Turkeyfish shadow size in Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Finally, to make sure you catch the right fish and don't waste your bait, look for a small shadow. Now you're ready. Go catch that Zebra Turkeyfish!

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available now exclusively for Nintendo Switch.