Fish are aquatic creatures that are found in river and ocean biomes.
Mobs[]
There are four categories of fish mobs in Minecraft:
- Cod
- Salmon
- Pufferfish
- Tropical Fish - many color and pattern varieties
In addition, there are other fish-like mobs that have different characteristics from fish: Axolotl, Guardian, and Elder Guardian.
Obtaining and transporting[]
A live fish can be captured by using a water bucket on a fish, to obtain a bucket of fish, which is the only way to obtain the live mob in item form. Using the bucket of fish on a water source block transfers the fish from the bucket to the body of water. A water bucket may also be used on axolotls in this manner.
Items[]
Fish exist in several different item forms. Upon death, fish drop their item form equivalent (cooked if on fire), with a chance to drop a bone[Bedrock Edition only] or bone meal.[Java Edition only]
- Non-living
- Living
Spawning[]
Various fish can be found in different ocean biomes, but only salmon appear in rivers. Fish can also spawn in player-created bodies of water, as long as they are within a river or ocean biome.
| Fish | Warm Ocean | Lukewarm Ocean Deep Lukewarm Ocean |
Ocean Deep Ocean |
Cold Ocean Deep Cold Ocean |
Frozen Ocean Deep Frozen Ocean |
River Frozen River |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cod | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[JE only] | No |
| Yes[BE only] | ||||||
| Salmon | No | No[JE only] | No[JE only] | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Yes[BE only] | Yes[BE only] | |||||
| Pufferfish | Yes | Yes[JE only] | No | No | No | No |
| No[BE only] | ||||||
| Tropical Fish[note 1] | Yes | Yes | No | No | No | No |
| Squid | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Dolphin | Yes | Yes | Yes | No[JE only] | No | No |
| Yes[BE only] |
- ↑ Also spawns in Lush Caves at any Y-level.
In Java Edition, fish can spawn inside a water block at Y-level 50 to 63 (from 13 blocks below sea level up to inside the block one above it), that also has water above and below it. The spawn block and the block below can be any kind of water, such as a source block, falling water, bubble column, kelp, or even a waterlogged block (as long as the fish can be placed at the bottom center of the spawn block without colliding with anything solid). The block above must be pure water, such as a source block, falling water, or flowing water of any depth. Particularly, the block above cannot also be a bubble column, so fish no longer spawn inside bubble elevators.[1]
Bedrock Edition does permit fish to spawn in bubble columns.[2]
Fish can spawn between 24 and 64 block spherical range away from the player.[Java Edition only]
Despawning[]
As of 1.16, fish can despawn at range of 40 blocks or more from the player, and will instantly despawn more than 64 blocks away, except when spawned using a bucket of fish.