Zapfish



"Zapfish off the port bow! Bust in and grab it!"

- Cap'n Cuttlefish

Zapfish (Japanese: デンチナマズ Denchi Namazu) are creatures that appear in Splatoon ' s Octo Valley mode. The player must rescue one at the end of every level in order to proceed in the story. To take the Zapfish, the player must burst its shield with ink, like the Rainmaker's shield. Then they must touch it and the screen and music will change to say that they have passed the level.

There are two types of Zapfish in the game: normal Zapfish are small, approximately the size of Inkling's heads; the more powerful and much larger Great Zapfish provides enough electricity to power Inkopolis. Normal Zapfish are held captive by bosses in each world, while the Great Zapfish is held by the final boss, DJ Octavio.

Description
Zapfish, electric catfish, are the main power source of Inkopolis. Through an Inkopolis News broadcast at the start of the game, the player learns that the Great Zapfish has been stolen and taken to Octo Valley, a hidden underground base used by the Octarians. The player, given the name Agent 3 and guided by Cap'n Cuttlefish, must rescue all the Zapfish in order to restore Inkopolis' power supply. A Zapfish is found at the end of every level in Octo Valley, enclosed in a glowing sphere of electricity and sitting on a light bulb-esque pedestal. Players must shoot the sphere with Ink until it bursts, releasing the Zapfish. If it is not grabbed after some seconds, a new bubble will form around it.

There is a doll version of a Zapfish when completing a mission Agent 3 already completed. It's made out of wool, googly eyes, and some stiches patched, it also wears a blue cap made from wool, representing the Legendary Cap in which the Zapfish itself doesn't wear, plus the animation of Agent 3 holding the Zapfish doll and patting it, instead of showing it toward the player.

Appearance
Zapfish appear to be a cross between a small fish and a light bulb's filament. They have a large head with two small eyes, two nostrils, and a pair of orange lips. Below the head is a smaller, yellow body.

Trivia

 * After a mission is completed and the Zapfish obtained, the Zapfish is replaced by cloth dummy on subsequent playthroughs. This dummy wears a hat similar to that of Cap'n Cuttlefish and has eyes like those of jellyfish.
 * It is shown in a credits art that Cap'n Cuttlefish is the one who makes and sews the stuffed Zapfish dolls.
 * Zapfish in the Octarians' spheres are surrounded by electrical charges, likely indicating that they are generating power for Octo Valley.
 * All Sub Weapons that come into contact with a Zapfish's shield will explode instantly, similar to the Rainmaker's shield.
 * The Japanese name, denchi namazu, means "catfish battery."  Similar to electric eels, some catfish produce an electrical discharge to defend themselves.
 * The Great Zapfish swims in the water surrounding Piranha Pit, and can be seen coming up to the surface in Turf War when the timer reaches one minute.