Animal Crossing: New Horizons operates in real-time and incorporates natural phenomena such as seasons and weather changes. One of the primary reasons for the social simulation game’s immense popularity is its range of features that resemble actual life. Catching bugs and fish or diving in the ocean are some of the game’s most pleasurable aspects.
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As the game cycles in new fishes, bugs, and sea creatures in or out every month, an assortment of critters departed the islands after November. However, that also means a new batch of critters will show up on the islands in December, depending on the hemisphere.
With the Northern Hemisphere transitioning into winter, only a few new critters will show up on the islands here. Meanwhile, Southern Hemisphere players experience the majority of critter arrivals, with summer just around the corner.
We list all the new critters available in both hemispheres during December in Animal Crossing: New Horizons below. Players are advised to keep their fishing rods, bug nets, and diving gear handy as they have quite a range to add to their collection in the coming days. Catching fish, bugs, and sea creatures will enable players to complete the Museum exhibits, and they can also unlock DIY recipes.
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List of new Animal Crossing: New Horizons critters in the Northern Hemisphere during December
The following 5 fish are coming to the Northern Hemisphere islands at the start of December:
| Name | Location | Time | Shadow size | Price |
| Pond smelt | River | All day | Small | 500 |
| Stringfish | River (Clifftop) | 4pm – 9am | Large | 15,000 |
| Sea butterfly | Sea | All day | Tiny | 1,000 |
| Squid | Sea | All day | Medium-small | 500 |
| Oarfish | Sea | All day | Huge | 9,000 |
The following 3 bugs are coming to the Northern Hemisphere islands at the start of December:
| Name | Location | Time | Price |
| Emperor butterfly | Flying | 5pm – 8am | 4,000 |
| Rajah Brooke’s birdwing | Flying | 8am – 5pm | 2,500 |
| Dung beetle | Rolling snowballs along the ground | All day | 3,000 |
The following deep-sea creature is coming to the Northern Hemisphere islands at the start of December:
| Name | Shadow size | Swimming pattern | Time | Price |
| Lobster | Large | Fast | All day | 4,500 |
List of new critters in the Southern Hemisphere during December
The following 14 fish are coming to the Southern Hemisphere islands at the start of December:
| Name | Location | Time | Shadow size | Price |
| Giant snakehead | Pond | 9am – 4pm | Large | 5,500 |
| Tilapia | River | All day | Medium-small | 800 |
| Piranha | River | 9am – 4pm & 9pm – 4am | Small | 2,500 |
| Arowana | River | 4pm – 9am | Medium-large | 10,000 |
| Dorado | River | 4am – 9pm | Large | 15,000 |
| Gar | Pond | 4pm – 9am | Huge | 6,0000 |
| Arapaima | River | 4pm – 9am | Huge | 10,000 |
| Saddled bichir | River | 9pm – 4am | Medium-large | 4,000 |
| Ribbon eel | Sea | All day | Thin | 600 |
| Saw shark | Sea | 4pm – 9am | Huge with fin | 12,000 |
| Hammerhead shark | Sea | 4pm – 9am | Huge with fin | 8,000 |
| Great white shark | Sea | 4pm – 9am | Huge with fin | 15,000 |
| Whale shark | Sea | All day | Huge with fin | 13,000 |
| Suckerfish | Sea | All day | Medium with fin | 1,500 |
The following 6 bugs are coming to the Southern Hemisphere islands at the start of December:
| Name | Location | Time | Price |
| Emperor butterfly | Flying | 5pm – 8am | 4,000 |
| Firefly | Flying | 7pm – 4am | 300 |
| Drone beetle | On trees | All day | 200 |
| Goliath beetle | On palm trees | 5pm – 8am | 8,000 |
| Rainbow stag | On trees | 7pm – 8am | 6,000 |
| Mosquito | Flying | 5pm – 4am | 130 |
The following 5 deep-sea creatures are coming to the Southern Hemisphere islands at the start of December:
| Name | Shadow size | Swimming pattern | Time | Price |
| Sea grapes | Small | Stationary | All day | 900 |
| Mussel | Small | Slow consistent movement | All day | 1,500 |
| Abalone | Medium | Moderate consistent movement | 4pm-9am | 2,000 |
| Gazami crab | Medium | Slow | All day | 2,200 |
| Tiger prawn | Small | Medium | 4pm-9am | 3,000 |
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