Zebra turkeyfish

The Zebra Turkeyfish (ミノカサゴ, Minokasago) is a fish that can be found in the ocean during the months of April through to November, at anytime of the day. It has a small shadow, about the same size as the horse mackerel.

Donating in

 * "I won't tell you it's utterly impossible to eat a zebra turkeyfish, but... I really wouldn't recommend it, to be honest. If you insist, though, you know my philosophy: batter, batter, and more batter!" —Blathers

The Zebra Turkeyfish can be found in the saltwater aquarium, swimming along the sand.

Donating in
"As its flashy coloration suggests, the zebra turkeyfish is poisonous. In other words, it's trying to tell you, "Touch me and you're sure to be right sorry, my fine friend!" Its slow, deliberate swimming style also suggests that this is one fish not to mess with!"

Donating in New Leaf
After donating a Zebra Turkeyfish to Blathers, it will appear in the section for fish and deep sea creatures, specifically in the large tank in the northeastern room of the fish and deep sea creatures area.


 * "Zebra turkeyfish have long, beautiful fins that flow like gowns as they swim through the sea. However, these aquatic beauties pack a punch, as their fins are filled with poisonous spikes. Aside from protection against predators, this poison comes in handy for turf wars between males. The losing male succumbs to the poison in a matter of days, making these battles life and death."

Donating in New Horizons
"The sheer brilliance and diversity in the aquatic underworld never ceases to amaze me. This zebra turkeyfish is as stunning to gaze upon as it is deadly. Those spines that are part of its defining physique are chock-full of venom! Fortunately, zebra turkeyfish are not susceptible to another's venom. Though solitary, I imagine they give one another a mean fin bump when passing each other by."

New Leaf
Chip will say this when given a zebra turkeyfish:


 * "If you want a treat, deep fry a zebra turkeyfish! You never tried that? Frying works great for most fish! As for this guy, well, eating it raw dosen't bother me one bit!"

Further information
The zebra turkeyfish, more commonly known as a luna lionfish, is found in tropical water in the western Pacific ocean, especially around Japan and Mauritius. They have 13 venemous spines on their bodies (also called fin rays) that are used both as a defence mechanism and to hunt prey. In humans the venom can cause symptoms such as severe pain, nausea, difficulty breathing, and convulsions. In rare cases the venom can be fatal, usually only in people who are very young, elderly, or have a weakened immune system. They have few predators, likely due to their venomous fin rays, however there have been some sightings of predators like Moray Eels and sharks hunting them.