Animal Crossing: New Leaf Deep Sea Creatures & Plants Guide (Where & When to Find Them)

Here's the list of deep sea creatures and plants you'll find while diving or swimming in the ocean in Animal Crossing: New Leaf... if you're lucky! Some are tough to find. Note that you'll find different creatures at different times of the day and locations. 

When you're swimming, at first, you just see a shadow, some are small, and some larger, and they disappear after some time, so be sure to go get them when you see them before it's late!  The trick to catching the deep sea creatures / plants in AC New Leaf is to swim until you're almost over the shadow, then dive down and quickly chase it in the direction it went to catch it. If you chase them towards the buoys, they'll be unreachable, so be careful!

Of course, in order to dive, you'll need the wet suit first. You can rent it (for free) in the island from the gyroid, but to take one home with you, you'll have to wait until you visit the island a few times and play some games. Then it'll become available for purchase at the island shop for 40 medals.

Animal Crossing: New Leaf - Deep Sea Creatures and Plants List

Picture Name Location Months Times Available Re-Tail Price Shadow Size /
Movement

Average Size

Abalone Sea & Island All Year 4p - 9a 400 Medium
Uniform Movement 7.09 in
18 cm Acorn Barnacle Sea & Island All Year All Day 200 Tiny
Stationary 1.18 in
3 cm Chambered Nautilus Sea & Island All Year All Day 900 Medium
Uniform Movement 13.78 in
35 cm Clam Sea Sept - April All Day 300 Small
Erratic Movement 1.57 in
4 cm Ear Shell Sea & Island All Year 4p - 9a 300 Small Erratic Movement 2.76 in
7 cm Flatworm Sea & Island June - Sept 15 4p - 9a 200 Small
Uniform Movement 1.57 in
4 cm Turban Shell Sea Aug - May 4p - 9a 300 Small
Uniform Movement 4.72 in
12 cm Horsehair Crab Sea Nov - April All Day 4,000 Medium
Uniform Movement 9.45 in
24 cm Horseshoe Crab Sea July - Sept 9p - 4a 1,500 Medium
Uniform Movement 15.75 in
40 cm Giant Isopod Sea & Island June-August All Day 9,000 Medium Uniform Movement 11.81 in
30 cm Spider Crab Sea March - April All Day 10,000 Very Large
Uniform Movement 47.24 in
120 cm Tiger Prawn Sea & Island June - Sept 4p - 9a 1,600 Small
Uniform Movement 7.87 in
20 cm Lobster Sea & Island All Year All Day 2,500 Large
Uniform Movement 19.69 in
50 cm Mantis Shrimp Sea & Island All Year 4p - 9a 1,250 Small
Erratic Movement 7.87 in
20 cm Octopus Sea & Island March - July
Sept2 - Jan All Day 1,000 Medium
Erratic Movement 19.69 in
50 cm Oyster Sea Sept - Feb All Day 400 Small
Stationary 3.15 in
8 cm Pearl Oyster Sea All Year All Day 1,600 Small
Stationary 3.94 in
10 cm Sweet Shrimp Sea Sept 16 - Feb 4p - 9a 650 Small
Erratic Movement 4.72 in
12 cm Red King Crab Sea Nov - March All Day 6,000 Large
Uniform Movement 19.69 in
50 cm Scallop Sea & Island All Year All Day 1,000 Medium
Erratic Movement 5.51 in
14 cm Sea Anemone Sea & Island All Year All Day 100 Medium
Stationary 7.87 in
20 cm Sea Cucumber Sea & Island Nov - April All Day 150 Medium
Uniform Movement 23.62 in
60 cm Sea Grapes Sea & Island July - Sept 15 All Day 600 Small
Stationary 7.87 in
20 cm Sea Slug Sea & Island All Year All Day 200 Small
Uniform Movement 1.57 in
4 cm Sea Urchin Sea & Island May - Sept 15 All Day 800 Small
Stationary 4.72 in
12 cm Seaweed Sea & Island Nov - July All Day 200 Large
Stationary 31.50 in
80 cm Snow Crab Sea Nov - April All Day 4,000 Large
Uniform Movement 14.17 in
36 cm Spiny Lobster Sea Sept 16 - Dec 9p - 4a 3,000 Large
Erratic Movement 11.81 in
30 cm Spotted Garden Eel Sea & Island June - Sept All Day 600 Small
Stationary 6.69 in
17 cm Sea Star Sea & Island All Year All Day 100 Small
Uniform Movement 9.84 in
25 cm