Cherry salmon | |||||||||||||||
ヤマメ Yamame | |||||||||||||||
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Location | Price | ||||||||||||||
River | 1,300 Bells (AC, WW) 1,000 Bells (CF, NL) | ||||||||||||||
Size | Shadow size | ||||||||||||||
15,85 in. 40 cm | Medium | ||||||||||||||
Time of year | Time of day | ||||||||||||||
March to June, September to November | 4am-9am, 4pm-9pm (Mar-Jun) 4am-9pm (Sept-Nov) | ||||||||||||||
Scientific name | Oncorhynchus masou | ||||||||||||||
Family | Salmonidae - Salmonidae | ||||||||||||||
Appearances | AF, AF+, AC, AFe+, WW, CF, NL | ||||||||||||||
Rarity | Uncommon (★★★) | ||||||||||||||
Regional names | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
- "I caught a cherry salmon! Now for a cherry-salmon pie!" —New Leaf
The cherry salmon is a fish which can be found in the river at different times of the year and at different times of the day, between 4am to 9am and 4pm to 9pm from March to June, and 4am to 9pm from September to November. Its shadow size is equal to that of the sweetfish or crucian carp. It is fairly abundant, but fetches a decent price in all of the games.
Donation to the museum
As with all bugs and fish in Animal Crossing series, the cherry salmon can be donated to the Museum by talking to Blathers. When donating, he will give the player some information about it.
In Animal Crossing
Upon donating it to the Museum in Animal Crossing, Blathers the curator will say;
"This is one of those fish that seem to mysteriously disappear from time to time. Drives fishermen batty, wot!"
In Wild World
Upon donating it to the museum in Wild World, Blathers will say the following about the cherry salmon;
"Cherry salmon are known for their flavor and beauty, eh wot? Indeed, that is likely why they are called the queens of mountain-stream fishing. Hoo hoo! Of course, the males of the species might object to that moniker!"
In City Folk
When donating it to the museum in City Folk, Blathers will say;
"The first thing you notice when looking at a cherry salmon is undoubtedly its green, polka-dot body, wot? All those different sized dots overlapping each other... How very chic!"
In New Leaf
In New Leaf an information board in the aquarium will list information about this fish.
"The spotted pattern on cherry salmon serves as camouflage and is rather common in all salmon. Most cherry salmon spend their lives in rivers, but some do migrate to the ocean to fully mature. They are popular with anglers because of their well-balanced physique and beautiful patterns. Plus, their nervous nature makes them a good challenge to catch, which just adds to the fun."
Capture quotes
- "I caught a cherry salmon! It looks so PITiful! (Get it? Pit? Oh, never mind.)" —Animal Crossing
- "I caught a cherry salmon! Weird... it smells like fish." —Wild World
- "I caught a cherry salmon! This is definitely NOT the pits!" —City Folk
Japanese Quotes |
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「ヤマメを つりあげた! ケッコウ でかいっ!」 —Animal Forest |
Encyclopedia information
Wild World
Fish
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![]() | "They have distinctive oval markings. Their size when spawning can vary." | |
Size | 13.7 inches | |
Habitat | Rivers | |
Season | Spring/Fall | |
Icon | ![]() |
City Folk
Fish
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New Leaf
Fish
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Gallery
Further information

A real life cherry salmon
Oncorhynchus masou is a type of Asian salmon. This fish has several localized names in Japan referring to the specific form. Cherry salmon (sakuramasu) is a large subspecies that travels to the oceans. This is a plain fish with few markings. It reaches spawning grounds during the cherry blossom season, hence the name. Yamame is a variety of cherry salmon that occurs only in rivers, and features prominent dark oval markings on the side of its body. Amago and sasuke trout both refer to small-spotted forms occurring far inland.
Collectively, the species can be found in the eastern areas of the Pacific Ocean, namely Japan and Korea. It has a landlocked sub-species called the Taiwanese salmon, entirely endemic to Taiwan. Cherry Salmon feed mainly on insects, but also feeds on small fish and crustaceans. It is endangered due to overfishing, but many forms have also been introduced due to popularity with anglers.