
BetterVannilaFishes
Dive into a more vibrant and diverse ocean. Re-imagined, re-animated, and re-alive.
Tired of the same old generic fish swimming in Minecraft's oceans? Better Vannila Fishes is a complete overhaul of aquatic life, designed to bring a new level of realism, depth, and excitement to your underwater explorations.
This mod removes the default vanilla fish (Cod, Salmon, Pufferfish, Tropical Fish) from world generation, replacing them with a carefully crafted roster of 31 new, realistic species — from colorful reef dwellers to apex ocean predators — each with unique behaviors, uses, and stunning GeckoLib-powered animations.
🌟 What Does This Mod Add? 🌟
🐟 Cod — 3 Species
Regional variants of the classic cod, each with distinct appearances:
- Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua) — The iconic North Atlantic staple.
- Pacific Cod (Gadus macrocephalus) — Its Pacific cousin.
- Haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) — A valuable bottom-dwelling species.
🐠 Salmon — 3 Species
- Male Salmon — Distinguished by its vibrant coloration.
- Female Salmon — Subtler hues, equally important.
- Pacific Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) — The iconic red salmon of the Pacific.
🐡 Pufferfish — 3 Species
Beautiful but deadly — handle with care! Each features a realistic inflation mechanic:
- Yellow Fin Puffer (Diodon holocanthus)
- Obscure Puffer (Takifugu obscurus)
- Porcupine Fish (Diodon holocanthus)
🔵 Surgeonfish — 6 Species (NEW!)
A vibrant family of coral reef fish, perfect for bringing tropical reefs to life:
- Achilles Tang (Acanthurus achilles)
- Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
- Blue Tang (Paracanthurus hepatus) — Yes, that's Dory!
- Convict Tang (Acanthurus triostegus)
- Whitecheek Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigricans)
- Lined Surgeonfish (Acanthurus lineatus)
🟠 Clownfish — 6 Species (NEW!)
Replacing vanilla Tropical Fish with realistic, individually modeled clownfish species:
- Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) — The classic Nemo!
- Spine-cheeked Clownfish (Premnas biaculeatus)
- Saddleback Clownfish (Amphiprion polymnus)
- Pink Skunk Clownfish (Amphiprion perideraion)
- Clark's Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)
- Orange Clownfish (Amphiprion percula)
🌿 Cichlid — 6 Species (NEW!)
Freshwater tropical fish found in rivers and swamps:
- Chameleon Cichlid (Australoheros facetus)
- Black Acara (Cichlasoma bimaculatum)
- Guyana Eartheater (Krobia guianensis)
- Saddle Cichlid (Aequidens tetramerus)
- Paraguay Eartheater (Gymnogeophagus balzanii)
- Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus)
🦈 Tiger Shark (NEW!)
居氏鼬鲨 (Galeocerdo cuvier) — A formidable apex predator now patrols the deep ocean!
- 80 HP and 15 attack damage — a true threat to unprepared divers.
- 3 color variants: Original, White, and Contrast.
- Attacks fish and any creature affected by the Bleeding effect.
- Custom shark-specific navigation and attack AI.
- Drops Shark's Fin — a unique trophy item.
- Can be displayed as a Tiger Shark Specimen mount!
🗡️ Spearfish (NEW!)
条纹枪鱼 (Kajikia audax) — A fast, aggressive ocean hunter:
- Will charge and strike when threatened, dealing AoE damage.
- Spawns in varying sizes — from sleek juveniles to massive adults.
- Drops cook into a hearty Cooked Spearfish meal.
🌺 Feather Star (NEW!)
海羽星 — A graceful, alien-like sea creature:
- Moves by graceful hopping across the ocean floor.
- Drops Feather Star Tentacles — a unique crafting material.
🐚 Nautilus
A prehistoric wonder of the deep, now more than just a conduit ingredient:
- Tameable using Tropical Fish! Once tamed, follows you faithfully.
- Provides the Nautilus Blessing buff to nearby players: restores air, removes Mining Fatigue, and boosts attack speed.
- Retreats into its shell when threatened, gaining powerful damage absorption.
- The ultimate aquatic companion for ocean explorers.
⚙️ Mechanics & Features
🏊 Custom Swimming AI
All creatures are brought to life with a custom, advanced swimming and turning system with GeckoLib animations, making their movements fluid, realistic, and a joy to watch. Fish form natural flocking groups with leader-follower dynamics.
⚖️ Size Variation & Trophies
Not all fish are created equal! Cod, Salmon, Spearfish and more spawn in a range of different sizes. Celebrate your biggest catch with 8 types of Taxidermy Specimen mounts — including a massive Tiger Shark display!
⚔️ Enchanted Pufferfish
Craft pufferfish drops into the Enchanted Pufferfish — a unique ranged weapon that automatically locks onto nearby undead and guardians, firing devastating energy beams.
📖 Summary
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Total New Species | 31 unique creatures across 8 families |
| Replaces | Vanilla Cod, Salmon, Pufferfish, Tropical Fish |
| New Families | Surgeonfish, Clownfish, Cichlid, Shark, Spearfish, Feather Star |
| Custom AI | Flocking, charging attacks, shark hunting, shell retreat |
| Status Effects | Nautilus Blessing, Bleeding, Purification |
| Special Items | Enchanted Pufferfish, Shark's Fin, Feather Star Tentacle |
| Decorations | 8 Taxidermy Specimen mounts |
| Tameable | Nautilus — grants powerful area buffs |
| Animation | Full GeckoLib-powered models and animations |
| Languages | English & 简体中文 |
Dive Deeper. Explore Further. The ocean has never been more alive!