Surgeonfish · Animal Crossing: New Horizons: Where and when to catch it

Using this reference

For Surgeonfish, start with the hemisphere and month, then check the hour and location. These conditions work together. Finding the right-looking shadow at the wrong time does not satisfy the availability check, and an available result does not guarantee the next catch.

If the checker says unavailable, change one condition at a time to see what blocks the attempt. A month listed for the opposite hemisphere is not another window on the same island. Keep the location and shadow size beside you while fishing so you can narrow down attempts without treating sale price as a spawn clue.

One useful comparison

For Base sale price, Surgeonfish is listed at 1000, compared with 1100 for Sea Horse: a difference of 100. This compares that field in the recorded variants only. Read the other fields before deciding whether the trade-off matters to your use.