There are well over 100 critters in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. These creatures are classified into either the fish or the bug categories and collecting them all will prove a challenge. They can be found nearly anywhere on both the player's island and the special Nook Miles Islands, a visit requires a Nook Miles Ticket, purchased for 2000 Nook Miles.
This list will be focusing on the rarity of the critters, the difficulty to catch each one and the amount of money they sell for (if the other two categories are equal) to help order the rarest critters in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, along with the easiest known method for catching them all.
Updated June 14, 2022, by Tom Bowen: Given that Animal Crossing: New Horizons has now been out for more than two years, there shouldn't be too many gaps left in players' Critterpedia apps despite the fish, bugs, and deep-sea creatures cycling on a monthly basis. At least for those who still play regularly, anyway. If there are gaps, they've likely been left by some of the rarest critters in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, a handful of which can be infuriatingly elusive. However, knowing when and where to look for these rare fish, bugs and deep-sea creatures can seriously improve a player's chances of finding them.
18 Great White Shark
The Great White Shark is a fearsome creature and is often referred to as the King of the ocean. Perhaps 'Queen' would be a little more apt though, given that the typical adult female is usually much larger than her male counterparts. Either way though, it's definitely a great catch given that Timmy and Tommy are willing to pay a whopping 15,000 bells per shark.
The fish are active during the summer months in the north and can be reeled in between the hours of 4PM and 9AM. Those in the south can instead expect to find them between December and March, although all players will first need to catch 50 fish before they start to spawn in.
17 Spider Crab
One of the many deep-sea creatures added into the game as part of the July 2020 update, the Spider Crab is among the rarest critters in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Despite being available 24 hours a day, there's only a two-month window during which the Spider Crab can be caught: between March and April around northern hemisphere islands and September and October for anyone living in the south.
Like some of the other rare deep-sea creatures in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the Spider Crab is at its most active during nighttime hours. To find one, players will need to keep their eyes peeled for a fast-moving large shadow and then follow it around until they have it cornered. For those having trouble catching it, it can help to dive down at the last possible moment, as the player's swim speed is a little faster above the water than it is while under it. Upon catching a Spider Crab, players will be able to sell it for a might 12,000 Bells.
16 Tarantula
The Tarantula is one of only a handful of bugs in the game that are hostile towards the player. With this in mind, players should be sure to have their nets ready before approaching them to avoid getting bitten. They sell for 8,000 bells (12,000 to Flick) and spawn in on the ground, so those with cluttered islands may not see them too regularly.
On Northern Hemisphere islands, they can be found during the night between the months of November and April. Those in the south, however, can expect to see them popping up between May and October instead. Due to their high value, many players opt to redesign their islands to increase the chances of Tarantulas spawning.
15 Ocean Sunfish
The Ocean Sunfish is comically large. So much so, in fact, that holding it up after catching it completely obscures the playable character. If anything though, this is an understatement, with some Ocean Sunfish able to grow to more than 3 meters in length and weigh up to a tonne.
Selling an Ocean Sunfish at Nooks Cranny will net players 4,000 bells, although taking it to C.J. raises this amount to 6,000. They can be caught during daylight hours between the months of July and September in the Northern Hemisphere or January and March in the South.
14 Giant Isopod
There's perhaps an argument to be made that Giant Isopods technically aren't all that rare, though actually being able to catch one of these fast-moving sea creatures definitely is. Players will likely need to follow the critter's medium-sized shadow for quite some time before being able to catch it. Even then, they'll probably need to rely on a favorable turn or two.
Another thing that can make the Giant Isopod difficult to catch is its active hours, with the creature only appearing at night and during school hours. Of course, younger players can get around this simply by staying up a little past their bedtimes or utilizing time travel, but for those who don't like to break the rules, both solutions may prove to be somewhat problematic. The rewards are definitely worth it, however, with each Giant Isopod fetching an impressive 12,000 Bells.
13 Scorpion
Scorpions are a little similar to Tarantulas, in that they will attack players if they get to close. A sting from its tail will lead to the playable character passing out and the Scorpion will usually flee. They're pretty valuable as a result, with Timmy and Tommy offering 8,000 bells per Scorpion and Flick willing to pay 12,000.
These deadly critters spawn in during months that Tarantulas don't, so expect to find them between May and October if you're in the north or November and April if you're in the south. They're active between the hours of 7PM and 4AM and can also be farmed pretty effectively by tweaking one's island to increase the chances of them spawning in.
12 Football Fish
For those wondering, yes. The Football Fish is based on a real-world fish. As for how it got its name, the man who first discovered the fish literally kicked one of them while walking along the beach and decided that its flight was similar to that of a football. Like a football, however, the Football Fish isn't worth too much, with Timmy and Tommy only willing to part with a measly 2,500 bells.
What makes the fish somewhat rare though is not their value or the scarcity at which they spawn in, but instead the requirement to catch 20 fish before they do so. After this requirement has been met, however, they can be found between November and March on Northern Hemisphere islands (May and September in the south) from 4PM until 9AM.
11 Gigas Giant Clam
Despite being available 24 hours a day for five months of the year, the Gigas Giant Clam is the rarest deep-sea creature in Animal Crossing: New Horizons. According to Blathers, these giant mollusks can measure up to six feet in length and weigh in at around 600 pounds once fully grown. More impressively, perhaps, they can live to be up to 100 years old, making them one of the longest-living critters in the game.
To find a Gigas Giant Clam, players will need to look for a large, fast-moving shadow while diving. They'll show up during summer months in the northern hemisphere and winter months for those whose islands are south of the equator. Once caught, players can sell their Gigas Giant Clams for 15,000 bells, meaning that it's tied for the title of most valuable critter in Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
10 Goliath Beetle
The Goliath Beetle (worth 8,000 bells) is one of the many stag/scarab beetles native to the islands. They can be found during the summer months (Nothern Hemisphere: June - September. Southern Hemisphere: December - March.) between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. These bugs live on the many palm trees that can be found on the Nook Miles Islands, or the player's island, should they take them back.
The easiest method to catch Goliath Beetles involves creating a "Stag Island" from a Nook Miles Island, a process similar to creating a Tarantula/Scorpion Island. The player needs to remove all resources from the island that bugs can spawn on, except for the palm trees. This highly encourages bugs to appear on palm trees, dramatically increasing the chances of finding one.
9 Cyclommatus Stag
The Cyclommatus Stag (worth 8,000 bells) is another of the many stag/scarab beetles native to the islands. They appear during the summer months (Nothern Hemisphere: July - August. Southern Hemisphere: January - February.) between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. The Cyclommatus Stag likes to live on palm trees on the Nook Miles Islands or the player's island.
The fastest method to catch Cyclommatus Stags is once again creating a Stag Island from a Nook Miles Island. Removing all resources from the island that bugs can spawn on, except for the palm trees drastically increases the chances of finding one of these elusive beetles.
8 Horned Hercules
The Horned Hercules (worth 12,000 bells) is known for its iconic long, singular horn and distinctive orange palette. They come out during summer (Nothern Hemisphere: July - August. Southern Hemisphere: January - February.) between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. These mighty bugs are found on palm trees on the Nook Miles Islands or the player's island.
The best way to catch a Horned Hercules is to use the aforementioned Stag Island. If all the resources (except palm trees) are properly removed, these tough beetles will easily be found.
7 Stringfish
The Stringfish (worth 15,000 bells) is a large fish with shiny scales. They are found during winter (Nothern Hemisphere: December - March. Southern Hemisphere: June - September.) between the hours of 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. They are found in the clifftop rivers of the islands (including the mouth of the river if it is atop a cliff). They have a very large (size 5) shadow.
The best method to catch this fish is to climb to the higher levels of the island using the ladder, bring a lot of fish bait (30-60), and use it to spawn fish. If one isn't found within 35-50 bait, it is best to move to a different spot on the island (that fits the criteria), as different areas sometimes have different spawn rates for fish.
6 Golden Trout
The Golden Trout (worth 15,000 bells) is a fish with golden scales. They are found twice a year (Both Hemispheres: between March and May, and September and November.) between the hours of 4 p.m. and 9 a.m. They are found in the clifftop rivers of the islands (including the mouth of the river if it is atop a cliff). They have a medium (size 3) shadow.
Like the Stringfish, the Golden Trout requires a lot of fish bait on the upper levels of the island, however, this fish is slightly rarer and spawns at a different time of year.
5 Giraffe Stag
The Giraffe Stag (worth 12,000 bells) is known for its large, black mandibles. They are found during summer (Nothern Hemisphere: July - August. Southern Hemisphere: January - February.) between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. They are found on palm trees on the Nook Miles Islands or the player's island.
Similar to the other stags, the best method to catch the Giraffe Stag is to create a Stag Island from a Nook Miles Island and walk laps of the island until one spawns on one of the trees.
4 Mahi Mahi
The Mahi Mahi (worth 6,000 bells) is a large, colorful fish. They are found during the warmer months (Northern Hemisphere: May - October. Southern Hemisphere: November - April.) all day. They are found swimming around the piers and docks of the islands. They have a very large (size 5) shadow.
Whilst being just as rare as the Golden Trout, this fish is significantly more difficult to catch, due to there only being 2 areas on the main island it can appear, and 1 area on Nook Miles Islands, as well as the larger amount of fish that spawn at the same time. The most efficient way to catch the Mahi Mahi is to use a lot of fish bait at the docks and piers of islands. Nook Miles Islands can increase the spawn rates of rare critters, although not all do.
3 Dorado
The Dorado (worth 15,000 bells) is a fish with golden scales. They are during the summer months (Northern Hemisphere: June - September. Southern Hemisphere: December - March.) between the hours of 4 a.m. and 9 p.m. They live in the depths of the rivers on the islands. They have a very large (size 5) shadow.
The best way to catch this fish is to stay near the ground level of the rivers, bring a lot of fish bait (around 50), using it to spawn fish. Keeping track of the size of the shadows of the fish spawning, the player can avoid using their fishing rod on the wrong fish (to prevent it from breaking, as sprinkling more fish bait scares away any present fish) if they do not wish to sell them.
2 Golden Stag
The rarest bug in the game, the Golden Stag (worth 12,000 bells) is easily identifiable due to its unique gold color (which helps them blend into the yellow of the palm trees). They are found during summer (Nothern Hemisphere: July - August. Southern Hemisphere: January - February.) between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m. These expensive beetles are found on the many palm trees in the game.
The most efficient way to catch a Golden Stag is to use a Nook Miles Island to make a Stag Island. Being the rarest bug in the game, it can be very difficult to make one spawn on a tree, making this the best way to catch one without getting extremely lucky on a normal palm tree.
1 Coelacanth
The Coelacanth (worth 15,000 bells) is a huge, ancient fish. They are found year-round in both hemispheres, all day. These fish are native to the oceans surrounding the island. They have the largest (size 6) shadow.
This fish is found in the sea any time of day, any day of the year, however, it must be raining for this fish to appear. If it is not raining, the Coelacanth cannot spawn. One reported workaround is the use of fish bait if it isn't raining, although they are still extremely rare. A more consistent method involves visiting Nook Miles Islands if it isn't raining on the main island, as these islands can have different weather, and some boost rare critter spawns.