Fish

From the Super Mario Wiki, the Mario encyclopedia
Jump to navigationJump to search
This article is about the generic fish sometimes seen in the Super Mario franchise. For the microgame in Game & Wario, see Fish (microgame). For specific fish found in the Super Mario franchise, see Category:Fish.
Fish
Model of a yellow fish from Super Mario Galaxy. It resembles butterflyfish in the genus Chaetodon.
Model from Super Mario Galaxy
First appearance Virtual Boy Wario Land (1995)
Latest appearance Princess Peach: Showtime! (2024)
Comparable

Fish are one of the characterizing components of the underwater-themed levels in the Super Mario franchise, particularly in 3D mainline titles. Fish usually have no interactable elements, passively schooling in the water. However, they occasionally serve more substantial gameplay purposes, such as in Super Mario Sunshine and Princess Peach: Showtime! Sometimes their placement within levels indicate there is a nearby secret, similar to the small birds and animals found on land.

Unlike Cheep Cheeps and other fish-based characters, ambient fish typically have realistic designs derived from real-world species.

History[edit]

This section is a stub. Please consider expanding it to include any missing information. Specifics: The fish from Diddy Kong Racing

Virtual Boy Wario Land[edit]

Schools of fish appear in Virtual Boy Wario Land. One school accompanies each Thorny Fish seen in Stage 3, swimming back and forth, with regular pauses. They appear to speed up if Wario is swimming ahead of them. These fish appear to be in the background of the stage, and cannot harm Wario in any way.

Super Mario series[edit]

Super Mario 64 / Super Mario 64 DS[edit]

The Secret Aquarium
Mario near schools of fish in The Secret Aquarium.

Ambient fish first appear in the underwater courses of Super Mario 64. In this game, most fish are blue with black stripes, vaguely similar to freshwater angelfish. Some instead are red and resemble red-bellied piranhas. Amongst the main courses, fish appear in Jolly Roger Bay and Dire, Dire Docks. The blue fish occur in the tanks of the room that holds the painting for Jolly Roger Bay as well. However, they are most numerous in The Secret Aquarium, accessed within the same room. In the Japanese, this secret course is named after them. Schools of blue and red fish occur here together.

In any areas where the water is shallow, such as Whomp's Fortress or the basement of the Mushroom Castle, there is a small chance that a fish will leap from the water when Mario jumps.

Super Mario Sunshine[edit]

A Blue Coin in Gelato Beach in the game Super Mario Sunshine.
Mario approaching a school of blue fish in Gelato Beach.

Super Mario Sunshine takes place on Isle Delfino, which is known for its fisheries. The fish relay the location of coins in underwater areas, a role somewhat comparable to that of the game's birds and butterflies. Like Super Mario 64, there are blue and red types. The blue ones are oblong with yellow fins, similar to yellow-tail acei, and school near Blue Coins. These ones appear in Ricco Harbor and Gelato Beach. The red fish are taller, similar to discus, and occur only in the episode "Red Coins in the Coral Reef." They surround hidden Red Coins around the reef. Additional species appear in the seafood markets on Isle Delfino, but they do not have unique gameplay components.

Super Mario Galaxy / Super Mario Galaxy 2[edit]

“Ever since those big eels showed up, we haven't caught ANY fish!”
Penguru

The fish in Super Mario Galaxy and Super Mario Galaxy 2 lack any interactive components, but the specific types that appear depends on the type of course they are found in. In the beach-themed galaxies whose bodies of water are under the direct sky, such as the Beach Bowl Galaxy and Starshine Beach Galaxy, five types of fish appear that resemble littoral marine species: red fish resembling anthias; yellow fish resembling the butterflyfish of the Chaetodon genus; white fish resembling Moorish idols and butterflyfish in the genus Heniochus; and a nonspecific blue fish. In underwater caves like the ones found in the Deep Dark Galaxy or Slimy Spring Galaxy, two different types of dark-scaled fish appear that are derived from benthic species: turquoise ones resembling hatchetfish and purple ones resembling viperfish. Fish always school with members of the same type.

The fish in these games are purely ambient, like the seagulls also found in these games. The penguins state that they eat fish, and a comment from Penguru implies that Gringills do as well.

Super Mario 3D World / Super Mario 3D World + Bowser's Fury[edit]

In Super Mario 3D World and its Nintendo Switch port, fish characterize the beach and underwater-themed courses in the game. These fish are more caricatured than the ones in previous games. There are four types: a fusiform red fish; an oblong blue fish; a broad green fish; and an angelfish-like yellow fish. They do not provide any gameplay functions.

Super Mario Odyssey[edit]

With the exception of the Cap Kingdom, the Cascade Kingdom, and the Snow Kingdom, all of the kingdoms with bodies of water in Super Mario Odyssey contain fish. Like most elements in the game, the type of fish are thematically tied to the environment of each kingdom. The Lake Kingdom contains many small colorful fish similar to neotropical poeciliids and ram cichlids. A pool near the beginning of the Iron Road in the Wooded Kingdom is has small schools of rainbow trout in it. The waters of the Seaside Kingdom are filled with shimmering gold-colored fish that swim around subjects of interest, like bubblers, 8-bit pipes, and glowing spots. The moat of Bowser's Kingdom contains koi. Like the birds and small animals found in Super Mario Odyssey, all of the these fish appear in the Mushroom Kingdom once Princess Peach and Tiara return to Peach's Castle.

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker[edit]

The red fish from Super Mario 3D World return in Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker, retaining the same aesthetic purposes. They can be found in beach and underwater-themed levels such as Floaty Fun Water Park and Briny Bowl Swimming Hole.

Princess Peach: Showtime![edit]

Fish appear in all the mermaid themed stages of Princess Peach: Showtime! Mermaid Peach can control them with her singing voice and use then to gather collectibles or pry open clamshells.

Gallery[edit]

Sprites and models[edit]

Screenshots[edit]

Names in other languages[edit]

Language Name Meaning Notes
Japanese さかな[1]
Sakana
Fish

References[edit]

  1. ^ In-game name for The Secret Aquarium.