Slaughterfish (Skyrim)

Slaughterfish
Basic Info
Level	1
	35
	0
Stamina	25
Spells / Abilities	Resists Raise Zombie, Reanimate Corpse, etc.
Loot	Slaughterfish Scales
Soul Size	Petty
Base ID	00023AB8

For other uses, see Slaughterfish.

"Many of Skyrim's waterways are home to Slaughterfish, whose razor-sharp teeth have claimed the lives of many careless swimmers."

―Loading Screen

Slaughterfish are aggressive aquatic creatures in The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.

Locations

Slaughterfish can be found in rivers, oceans, and occasionally ponds. Some places where slaughterfish may be encountered include:

• The waters around the Abandoned Shack, Hjaal River in Hjaalmarch.
• The pond outside Chillwind Depths, Karth River in The Reach.
• The waters outside of the Dawnstar Sanctuary, Sea of Ghosts in The Pale.
• West of Dragon Bridge Overlook, Karth River in The Reach.
• East of Graywinter Watch, White River in Whiterun Hold.
• At the intersection of three waterways east of Kolskeggr Mine, Karth River in The Reach.
• Pool inside of Labyrinthian, in Hjaalmarch.
• The waters around The Lady Stone, Lake Ilinalta in Falkreath.
• Down the hill from the Reach Stormcloak Camp, Karth River in The Reach.
• A short walk east of Salvius Farm, Karth River in The Reach.
• The Sunken Barrow, Lake Ilinalta in Falkreath.
• North of Swindler's Den, Hjaal River in Whiterun Hold.
• North of the Wreck of the Brinehammer, Sea of Ghosts in The Pale.
• Will appear in the fish hatchery^HF if eggs are added, non-hostile.

Changes in Skyrim

Unlike previous The Elder Scrolls games in which they appeared, slaughterfish are much less common and now lay eggs, which can be harvested from clutches in or near water. When killed, their corpses float.

Battle strategy

Slaughterfish do very little damage when they attack, and do not attack particularly rapidly. Thus even a level 1 Dragonborn on Legendary Difficulty can dispatch them with only modest organization, or even more easily avoid them. The only trick is that the Dragonborn cannot unsheathe weapons or cast magic underwater, therefore:

• The most straightforward method is to lure the Slaughterfish to the shallows or shore and attack it with melee weapons or Magic Runes. Even Level 1 characters with iron weapons can accomplish this reasonably quickly, as one can step back from the shore and heal in safety whenever desired.
• Slaughterfish can easily be killed while underwater by wearing the Ebony Mail, due to the Mail's damage effect. Cloak spells, such as Flame Cloak, are also effective against the fish if cast before entering the water, as spells cannot be cast under water.
• Use the compass to show the general direction of a slaughterfish, and an offensive shout (such as Fire Breath or Marked for Death) to kill it, as shouts have a large enough damage cone to hit them even if the Dragonborn does not know their precise location.
• Using the shout Aura Whisper or the Detect Life spell to show the exact location of the slaughterfish will make it easy to attack it with projectile magic or weapons.
• Area-effect spell such as Ice storm directed by the compass to attack them.
• Use a follower with ranged combat capabilities (such as a mage like Onmund or an archer like Faendal) to supply "cover fire" to the Dragonborn while they are swimming.
• Conjure a flame or storm atronach to kill them, as the atronach can always detect the exact location of the slaughterfish.

Trivia

• There are 103 slaughterfish placed in the game, with groups of 2–3 being most common and only one group of 4. This means there are only around 40 encounters spread over the game world.
• As of patch 1.9 slaughterfish no longer become hostile unless the Dragonborn enters the water where they are located.
• Seared slaughterfish is a commonly-found food, yet slaughterfish meat cannot be harvested.
• In the Hearthfire DLC, if slaughterfish eggs are placed in the Windstad Manor fish hatchery, the slaughterfish spawned will be neutral.
• Slaughterfish cannot be raised from the dead by spells, or powers due to the fact they are strictly aquatic.
• Slaughterfish cannot attack the Dragonborn on land, yet they will usually not exit combat even if the Dragonborn is out of their reach.
• Slaughterfish vary in size, but are never very large.
• Four slaughterfish scales can also be used to create a slaughterfish model on a small trophy base within a trophy room in an owned property with Hearthfire.
• The Slaughterfish bears a resemblance to the alligator gar, a fish that lives in both fresh and salt water in the Southeastern United States and Mexico.

Bugs

This section contains bugs related to Slaughterfish (Skyrim). Before adding a bug to this list, consider the following: Please reload an old save to confirm if the bug is still happening. If the bug is still occurring, please post the bug report with the appropriate system template  360  /  XB1  ,  PS3  /  PS4  ,  PC  /  MAC  ,  NX  /  PS5  ,  XS  , depending on which platform(s) the bug has been encountered on. Be descriptive when listing the bug and fixes, but avoid having conversations in the description and/or using first-person anecdotes: such discussions belong on the appropriate forum board.

•  PC   360   PS3   When attacked by a slaughterfish, they may "swim" across land to attack.

Appearances

• The Elder Scrolls II: Daggerfall
• The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
• The Elder Scrolls Online
• The Elder Scrolls: Legends