Smallfry (species)

Smallfry are a type of Salmonid that appear in Salmon Run and Salmon Run Next Wave in Splatoon 2 and Splatoon 3.

Description
Smallfry broadly share their appearance and body type with other lesser Salmonids, although with a different hairstyle. Owing to their diminutive size, they also wield spoons as their weapon of choice rather than the typical lesser Salmonid frying pans.

They behave in much the same manner as other lesser Salmonids as well, charging at Inklings and Octolings while leaving a thin trail of ink behind them. They have low health, but are fast and hard to hit due to their small size. Smallfry are incapable of doing a large amount of damage at once, but this shortcoming is addressed with their swarming tactics; they normally spawn in groups of three, except for Griller waves, during which they spawn in larger groups and are the only lesser Salmonid that spawns.

In, one Smallfry appears alongside the player character. They can be customized with different hairstyles and assist the player in the game's Hero Mode. The Smallfry is unaffected by Fuzzy Ooze and can eat it. However, other Smallfry still appear as enemies in Salmon Run Next Wave.

The Boss Salmonids known as the Flyfish and the Fish Stick are both Smallfry (or in the case of the Fish Stick, a group of Smallfry) with their combat abilities boosted by weapons tech. Splatoon 3's Salmonid Field Guide also reveals that Stingers are in fact highly-trained Smallfry that have honed their lung capacity to a great degree.

Quotes
The following text is quoted from the Salmonid Field Guide.


 * Basic Information
 * They tend to appear in groups rather than alone.
 * Defeating them will earn you Power Eggs.


 * Attack Behavior
 * They use their sense of smell to locate and close in on targets who have entered their territory.
 * Once they close in on a target, they perform close-range attacks using frying pans or other cookware.


 * Elimination
 * Can be neutralized relatively easily with a direct hit of ink.


 * Supporting Information
 * They inhabit a restricted ocean zone, and any unauthorised contact with them is expressly forbidden by law.
 * The Smallfry might be weak, but they're very fast. They often ambush their targets from below.
 * On their own, they don't pose a significant threat, but ignore them and you may quickly find yourself surrounded.

Statistics
Splatoon 2

Splatoon 3

Trivia

 * The plural of Smallfry is Smallfry, as indicated by the "smallfry" locker decoration sold at Grizzco Industries which depicts multiple Smallfry.
 * Smallfry, along with other Lesser Salmonids, are able to jump to unlimited heights when they are chasing a player in an unreachable location.
 * When jumping, Lesser Salmonids flail their arms and tail fin around like a real salmon does when leaping out of the water.