Slaughterfish (Skyrim)

Slaughterfish

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

― Loading Screen

For the slaughterfish in other games, see Slaughterfish.

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

Slaughterfish are some of the smallest hostile creatures, being only slightly larger than a rabbit or hawk.

Locations

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

• The pond outside Chillwind Depths, extending the Karth River.
• There is one in the pool in the last room of Labyrinthian.
• The White River, below the Valtheim Towers and near the Honningbrew Meadery.
• Lake Ilinalta
• The Hjaal River, near Morthal and in the marsh of Hjaalmarch.
• The Darkwater River, Lake Geir, the Treva River and Lake Honrich.
• The Sea of Ghosts, north of Hjaalmarch, The Pale, and Winterhold.
• Will appear in the fish hatchery as a complementary fish.

Changes in Skyrim

Unlike previous 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.

Three 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.

Battle Strategy

Since the Dragonborn cannot unsheathe their weapons or cast magic underwater, it is not possible to fight a slaughterfish in its natural habitat using normal methods.

• 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.
• One can use the compass to show the general direction of a slaughterfish, and use 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. (warning, flame spells DO NOT work in water.)
• One can try to lure the Slaughterfish to the shore and attack it with melee weapons.
• One can also use an area-effect spell such as Ice storm directed by the compass to attack them.

Trivia

• Seared slaughterfish is a commonly-found food, yet slaughterfish meat cannot be harvested.
• When travelling close to water, slaughterfish commonly appear as enemies on the compass yet are difficult to find and kill. This restricts fast travelling, using forges, grindstones, waiting, etc. Ways to solve this include seeing if the Dragonborn's follower attacks the slaughterfish, marking its position, or running away from the area until the red dot disappears from the compass. 
• 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 Conjuration spells such as Revenant or Raise Zombie, due to the fact they are strictly aquatic.

Bugs

•  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