You’ve been diving in the Blue Hole for ten hours straight. Your oxygen is screaming, your inventory is basically 99% weight capacity, and you’re still missing that one stupid card in your Marinca app. We’ve all been there. Honestly, the Dave the Diver fish list is more than just a checklist; it’s a chaotic ecosystem that changes based on the time of day, the depth, and sometimes just pure luck with the "biome" you roll when you jump off the boat.
Most people think catching everything is just about swimming deeper. It's not. You can spend weeks at 200 meters and never see a specific seahorse because you didn't check behind a rock in the right weather.
Where the Heck are the Small Spotted Darts?
The biggest headache for collectors isn't the sharks. It’s the small, annoying stuff. The Blue Hole Shallows (0-50m) is where you’ll find the staples: Clownfish, Blue Tangs, and those aggressive little Striped Catfish. But have you noticed some days the map looks... different?
Sometimes you dive in and there’s long, flowing seaweed everywhere. This is the "Seaweed Map." If you don’t see it, you aren't finding the Flame Angelfish or the Sheepshead. Period.
- Clownfish & Sea Goldies: These are your bread and butter early on.
- Small Spotted Dart: Only spawns in specific shallow layouts. If you don't see them near the surface within the first 30 seconds, they probably didn't spawn in that run.
- Titan Triggerfish: These guys are jerks. They will bite you. Early game, they are a great source of meat, but later they’re just an obstacle.
The Mid-Depth Grind (50-130m)
Once you hit the Medium Depth, things get toothy. This is where the Tiger Shark and the Great Barracuda hang out. If you’re trying to complete the Dave the Diver fish list, you need to be careful here.
White Trevally and Atlantic Mackerel are common, but the real prize for your restaurant is the Tuna. Whether it’s Bluefin or Yellowfin, you can't just poke them with a harpoon. You need the Steel Net Gun or a Tranquilizer. Seriously, don't even bother trying to whittle down a Tuna's health with a basic knife. You’ll just ruin the meat quality, and Bancho will be disappointed.
Diving into the Depths (130-250m)
The Depths are creepy. The music changes, the light fades, and suddenly you’re staring at a Cookiecutter Shark. This zone is home to some of the weirdest entries in the Marinca.
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- Chambered Nautilus: Usually found floating near the rock walls.
- Frilled Shark: Looks like a nightmare, tastes like sushi.
- Bluespotted Stargazer: These guys hide under the sand. Watch for the eyes peeking out. If you step on them, you’re gonna have a bad time.
- Megamouth Shark: He’s big, slow, and has a lot of HP.
A lot of players miss the Rhinochimaeridae because it looks like a regular fish from a distance, but its movement pattern is slightly "off." It’s rare. If you see it, drop everything and catch it.
The Glacial Area and Hydrothermal Vents
Late game is where the Dave the Diver fish list gets prehistoric. The Glacial Area requires the cold-weather suit, obviously. Here, you’ll find the Narwhal (be ready to dodge that tusk) and the Greenland Shark.
But the real "I’m going to lose my mind" fish are in the Hydrothermal Vents. We're talking about creatures that shouldn't exist. Dunkleosteus is basically an armored tank with fins. You can’t hurt it from the front. You have to wait for it to charge, dodge, and hit the soft spot.
And don’t forget the Waptia Fieldensis. It’s tiny. It’s ancient. It’s required for a high-end recipe that people rave about during the Cucumber Party.
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Night Fishing: A Whole Different Game
If you aren't diving at night, you’re missing 20% of the game. The Moray Eel finally comes out of the walls. The Box Jellyfish starts glowing. And the Humboldt Squid will try to drag you into the abyss.
The Zebra Shark is a night-only spawn in the shallows. It’s surprisingly chill compared to the Great White, but you still need it for the gold card.
How to actually get 3-Star Cards
You want the Gold Marinca cards? Stop killing the fish. A dead fish is a 1-star or 2-star card at best. To get a 3-star rating for the Dave the Diver fish list, you have to capture them alive.
- Small fish: Use the Net Gun.
- Medium fish: Upgraded Net Gun or Tranquilizer Harpoon.
- Large Sharks: You must sleep them. Use a Tranquilizer Rifle or the hush dart, then call in the Salvage Drone.
If you don't have the drone yet, don't stress about 3-starring the big guys. Just focus on story progression until Cobra gives you the tech.
The "Useless" Fish Secret
Honestly, some fish are just filler. Looking at you, Comber. But even the low-value fish are worth catching once for the list. After that? Only keep what you need for Bancho’s "Best Seller" recipes. A common mistake is filling your bag with 20 Blue Tangs when you could have carried one Thresher Shark tail.
Check your Marinca app constantly. If a card is grayed out, you haven't caught it. If it’s silver, you killed it. If it’s gold, you captured it alive.
To finish your collection efficiently, focus on the Seaweed Biome whenever it appears, as that’s the rarest map state. Keep a Steel Net Gun equipped for those pesky crabs and shrimp that hide under rocks. Once you have the 3-star version of the Ruby Seahorse (found by mining Ruby nodes in the Glacial area), you can basically call yourself a master diver.
Check your inventory weight, keep your harpoon sharp, and stop trying to pet the Titan Triggerfish.
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Next Steps for Your Collection:
Focus on upgrading your Steel Net Gun immediately. It is the single most important tool for 3-starring everything from small rays to large tuna. After that, spend a few nights specifically targeting the Moray Eel and Humboldt Squid to clear out the nocturnal section of your Marinca app.