Fish

Fish appear in a number of The Legend of Zelda games with varying usage. From fishing minigames to prominent characters, fish are undoubtedly an important element of the Zelda series.

Link's Awakening

 * See also: Fishing in Link's Awakening

In Link's Awakening, Link encounters an enemy fish. These fish are only found within water areas of caves and the overworld. They swim underwater for a period of time before jumping up, attempting to attack Link. A similar incarnation appears in Oracle of Seasons. They can also be caught in a mini-game, where there are big ones called "lunkers" and little ones "runts". One of the lunkers gives Link a Piece of Heart.

Other types of fish in Link's Awakening include the Cheep-Cheep and the Angler Fish.

A Link to the Past
Fish can be captured in A Link to the Past when the water is drained out of a certain pond in the south of the Light World. If this fish is thrown back into the water, it will say, "Thank you" and give Link some Rupees. However, the young hero can also carry the fish to the bottle salesman in Kakariko Village and will be rewarded with various items.

Ocarina of Time & Majora's Mask

 * See also: Fishing in Ocarina of Time

Small fish can be captured in bottles in both Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. They are needed to gain entrance to Lord Jabu-Jabu's belly in Ocarina of Time. It seems that, although these fish are easy to find, they can be quite valuable if Link's looking to get some easy money. However, only certain people will offer to trade with him.

There is also a fishing minigame that can be played in the Fishing Hole of Lake Hylia. Link can obtain various prizes for catching a record-size fish and showing it to the pond owner For more information, see Fishing.

In the Marine Research Laboratory of Majora's Mask, two carnivous fish can found. If Link feeds the fish until one is big enough to eat the other, it will belch up a Piece of Heart as a reward.

Oracle of Seasons
In Oracle of Seasons, the fish is the sixth item in the trading sequence. It is a blue small fish that is given to Link by Ingo in exchange for helping complete his vase collection with the Goron Vase, which was always refused to him by Biggoron. This fish is passed on to an old man trying to get his cat down from a tree in Eyeglass Lake in return for the Megaphone.

Twilight Princess

 * See also: Fishing in Twilight Princess

In the beginning of Twilight Princess, a fish has to be caught using the fishing rod in order to get Sera's cat to return to the shop. This small event eventually leads to Link being able to buy the slingshot from Sera. Much like in A Link to the Past, when a fish is thrown back in the water, it will give Link a Recovery Heart. Records of fish that have been caught by bobber fishing are stored in the Fish Journal along with the size and amount of each specific fish.

Later on, a fish called the Reekfish needs to be caught using a Coral Lure in Zora’s Domain to reach Snowpeak, home to the fifth dungeon in Twilight Princess.

Just like in Ocarina of Time, Link can go to Hena's Fishing Hole located in the Upper Zora's River to try lure fishing for a minimum of 20 Rupees. Here, various types of fish can be caught and kept away in the fish tank inside the fishing hut, including the infamous Hylian Loach. To see the kinds of fish that can be caught in Twilight Princess, see below.

Greengill

 * Game: Twilight Princess

Making their first appearance in Twilight Princess, the Greengill can be found easily in most bodies of water: if there are fish, then there is a good chance that some of them are Greengills. They are quite small in size and are colored green and yellow with a wavy stripe along its side. It's considered to be a great fish for beginners since they don't really prove to be a problem when reeling one of them in.

Hyrule Bass

 * Games: Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess

Called the "definitive lake fish" by Hena, the Hyrule Bass is one of the most common fish that can be found while fishing and, as such, it's one of the basics. In Ocarina of Time, the Hyrule Bass is unnamed, and it is the only type of fish that could be caught at the fishing pond in Lake Hylia. They have a similar look in Twilight Princess and can be found in most places while bobber or lure fishing.

Largest known Hyrule Bass: 21 inches

Hylian Pike

 * Game: Twilight Princess

The Hylian Pike is a fish that has a lot of popularity and demand between anglers and is known as the "star of jumping fish." It is said that the Hylian Pike is famous for gaining many fans due to its closed eyes. The Spinner Lure or the Frog Lure is recommended for catching this type of fish.

Largest known Hylian Pike: 27 inches

Ordon Catfish

 * Game: Twilight Princess

Unlike the Hylian Pike, the Ordon Catfish is not too popular among anglers due to it being too slimy, making them particularly disliked at Hena's Fishing Hole. Any time that Link catches a catfish while fishing with Hena, she will urge him to throw it back into the pond as quick as he can due to her heavy disgust towards them. The Popper Lure is recommended to attract the Ordon Catfish to the surface.

Largest known Ordon Catfish: 25 inches

Reekfish

 * Game: Twilight Princess

The Reekfish is a red fish that can only be found in Zora's Domain in Twilight Princess and is a favorite food of the Yeti race. The fish has a strong smell which helps Link, while in wolf form, locate the source of all the monster sightings in Zora's Domain. Strangely, when Link first meets Yeto, he is holding a Reekfish as big as Link, which is several times bigger then any seen in Zora's Domain.

The Reekfish can only be caught with a special Coral lure that is given to Link by Prince Ralis. . It apparently has a horrid stench, according to its description. Despite this, the Reekfish is known to have many nutrients, and as such, they're revered and well-cared for by the Zoras.

Hylian Loach

 * Games: Ocarina of Time, Twilight Princess

The Hylian Loach is a large, rare fish that appears in both Ocarina of Time and Twilight Princess. The loach looks like a cross between the catfish and the pike, with an eel-like body and ornate swirl patterns down the length of its body. They generally weigh in at about 29-36 pounds and can only be found at the fishing holes in its respective game. Due to its rarity, the Hylian Loach is usually revered to be a legendary fish.

In Ocarina of Time, the loach appears purely by random at the fishing pond in Lake Hylia. The best way to find it is by equipping the Zora Tunic and the Iron Boots, and then entering the water and scanning the sand floor and the area around the lily pads. If it can't be found the first time, Link can just exit the area, enter again, and repeat the process. They can be caught with either the regular lure or the sinking lure, although the loach will only bite onto the hook as it goes up to the surface.

When Link takes the loach to the pond owner, he will tell Link that the fish population's number has decreased and release it instead of keeping it in the fish tank. He will also give the young hero a reward of 50 Rupees.

In Twilight Princess, Hylian Loaches can only be found at Hena's Fishing Hole in the summer time around the lilypads. They can only be reeled in by using the Frog Lure or the Sinking Lure. "Baby" Hylian loaches can also be caught by using Link's fishing rod while bobber fishing. Despite that Hylian Loaches are more common by now, they are apparently still legendary, and Hena is remarkably impressed when Link catches one.

A book called The Legend of the Hylian Loach: Twilight Fish can be found in Hena's fishing hut. It gives a description of the behavior and habitat of the loach, mentioning that they prefer the shallow waters and love frogs; moreover, the book explains that they are known to be "ansty" and prefer the summertime over wintertime. According to Hena, who has read the book many times to the point of memorization, the book is about a young Hylian Loach and its quest to save Hyrule.

In Phantom Hourglass, a portrait of the Hylian Loach can be seen in the middle of the Old Wayfarer's house on Bannan Island. The loach almost makes a small cameo in Animal Crossing: when a loach is caught, a message appears saying, "You don't suppose it's Hylian, do you?".

Skippyjack

 * Game: Phantom Hourglass

The Skippyjack is the smallest type of fish that can be caught in Phantom Hourglass and is also the easiest ones to reel in as it will not zig-zag or jump too much. With the hook, it is a very common to encounter. However, after obtaining the Big Catch Lure, it becomes a very rare catch. It is mostly found on the southwest area of the sea.

Toona

 * Game: Phantom Hourglass

The Toona is another type of common fish that can be caught, although it is a bit rarer than the Skippyjack and also bigger. The Old Wayfarer will not be impressed when shown this fish. This fish's rarity is barely affected by the Big Catch Lure.

Loovar

 * Game: Phantom Hourglass

A Loovar is a large fish that can be caught in Phantom Hourglass. By catching this fish and returning to Bannan Island, Link can show it to the Old Wayfarer to be rewarded with the Big Catch Lure. It is a very rare fish when Link has the hook, but when he gets the Big Catch Lure, it becomes one of the most common catches. It sometimes bring a Stowfish attached to its belly. According to its description, it's very mild mannered.

Largest Known Loovar: 6ft. 8in.

Stowfish

 * Game: Phantom Hourglass

A Stowfish is a fish that appears in Phantom Hourglass. Link can't catch it like a regular fish. It is sometimes attached to another fish, and if he catches a fish that has a Stowfish attached to it, it will count as a Stowfish catch. When Link shows a Stowfish to the Old Wayfarer, he will give the young hero a random ship part. The Fishing Journal entry for the Stowfish does not record the weights, only the number caught.

Rusty Swordfish

 * Game: Phantom Hourglass

The Rusty Swordfish is a fish is so large it takes up both screens of the Nintendo DS. It can only be caught with the Big Catch Lure. After showing the fish to the Old Wayfarer, he will reward Link with a random ship part. Rusty Swordfish are rarely found in smaller fish shadows, but are often found in the larger swordfish shadows on the Sea.

Largest Known Rusty Swordfish: 13ft. 5in.

Neptoona

 * Game: Phantom Hourlgass

Neptoona is the legendary fish of the ocean that can be found in Phantom Hourglass. She can only be found after receiving the Big Catch Lure and catching the Rusty Swordfish. The fish itself is a gargantuan, blue swordfish with a serrated bill with various green-blue markings. Showing the fish to the Old Wayfarer will result in Link receiving a Heart Container. Unlike other fish, her shadow on Link's map displays a shape of a swordfish.

Even though it is a legendary fish, Link can catch more than one. The name is a pun on Neptune, the Roman god of Seas, and Toona, another species of fish that can be caught.

Characters
Below is a list of famous fish characters that have appeared throughout the Zelda series and have played a major role in its respective game.
 * Wind Fish
 * Manbo
 * Fishmen
 * Lord Jabu-Jabu
 * Jabun

Enemies

 * Majora's Mask
 * Bottled Fish
 * Skullfish
 * Desbreko
 * Gyorg


 * The Wind Waker
 * Fishman
 * Gyorg


 * Phantom Hourglass
 * Gyorg


 * Twilight Princess
 * Bombfish
 * Skullfish