Icon for the Critterpedia app in New Horizons, showing bugs, fish, and sea creatures
Creatures are a type of collectible in the Animal Crossing series that can be caught by the player. There are three types of creatures: bugs, which appear in various locations throughout town and can be caught with a net; fish, which appear in various bodies of water and can be caught with a fishing rod; and sea creatures, which appear in the sea and can be caught while swimming. Bugs and fish appear in every game in the series, while sea creatures only appear in Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Each time the player catches a creature, they make a comment on it, which is usually a pun about the creature's name. A record of which creatures the player has caught is accessible in a menu. In all mainline games beginning with Doubutsu no Mori+, creatures can be donated to the museum. Additionally, creatures can be placed in the player's house as furniture items, or sold for a varying amount of Bells depending on their rarity.
Bugs appear in various locations throughout town, such as on trees, flowers, the ground, or flying in the air. They can be caught with a net, and they often flee if the player gets too close. There are a total of 93 bugs across all the mainline games.
Fish appear in bodies of water, such as rivers, ponds, and the sea. They appear as a shadow visible from above the water, and they can be caught with a fishing rod. When a rod is cast, fish nibble at the bobber before biting. There are a total of 93 fish across all the mainline games.
Sea creatures were introduced in Animal Crossing: New Leaf. They appear in the sea far from the shore while the player is swimming in a wet suit. Like fish, they are visible from above the water as a shadow. They can be caught by diving underwater; some sea creatures move away from the player when approached and must be chased, while others are stationary. There are a total of 43 sea creatures across all the mainline games.
