Fish Bone
- This article is about the recurring enemies in theSuper Mario franchise. For the enemies inSuper Mario Land also known as "Bone Fish", seeHonen. For the gag items in theGame Boy Advance version ofMario Bros. also known as "Fish Bones", seeFish Skeleton.
| Fish Bone | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Artwork fromNew Super Mario Bros. U | |||
| First appearance | Super Mario World (1990) | ||
| Latest appearance | Super Mario Party Jamboree – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition + Jamboree TV (cameo) (2025) | ||
| Variant of | Cheep Cheep | ||
| |||
| |||
Fish Bones (originally formatted asFishbones,[1] sometimes singular) are underwaterenemies that debuted inSuper Mario World. They are implied to be the animated bones of deadCheep Cheeps,[2] mirroring the relationship betweenDry Bones andKoopa Troopas, though they also also bear a striking resemblance to a variety of the real-world species ofmarine hatchetfishes, especially thePacific hatchetfish. FromNew Super Mario Bros. Wii onward, Fish Bones attack by launching themselves at player characters that enter their sightline. Unlike most aquatic enemies, they typically occur infortresses,castles, andGhost Houses.
Fish Bones are the second skeletal fish enemy introduced in theSuper Mario series and the most recurring ones. They are also one of three enemies to be skeletal Cheep Cheeps specifically, with the other two beingHonebons andJeans de Fillet. Similar but unrelated enemies includeHonens andBonefins.
History[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World /Super Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2[edit]
Fishbones are found in the submergedVanilla Fortress and the underwater room ofBowser's Castle. They are the only strictly aquatic dungeon enemies in the game, though terrestrial enemies are also found underwater in these levels. Their behavior is simple, traveling in straight lines across the screen in a jerky, darting motion, usually in small groups, and they sometimes blink. Fishbones are nearly invincible in the original game, only capable of being defeated by aSuper Star, though they can be defeated normally byCaped Mario or Caped Luigi's spin attack in the remake,Super Mario Advance 2. In the SNES version, Fishbones have glitchy behavior when defeated since they were never intended to be defeated; it will still move itself forward and a defeated Fishbone can still damage the player even as it falls off the screen.
New Super Mario Bros. Wii[edit]
Fish Bones (referred to asWet Bones in thePrima guide)[3] inhabit some water levels inNew Super Mario Bros. Wii; they appear inWorld 4-
Castle andWorld 5-
Ghost House. Also, in the battle againstWendy O. Koopa in World 4-Castle, various Fish Bones can be seen swimming in a water tank in the background. They have an updated design with a slightly different tailbone and their pupils are now larger and yellow (which no longer blink unlikeSuper Mario World). Fish Bones have a newly introduced attack pattern where if it detects one of the characters, it will lock on to them (as their pupils turn red) and launch themselves in the direction of the character. If it misses and hits a wall or another Fish Bone, it will crash and break apart in a similar manner to that ofDry Bones (the sound effect is longer if it hits another Fish Bone). However, once they break apart, they will reappear if the player goes far enough offscreen. Fish Bones can be permanently defeated withIce Balls, a thrown object, or aStar. Fish Bones will stop following a player that jumps out of the water; the player can also dodge them by walking on the floor and ducking once spotted, which turns the Fish Bone's eyes back to normal and stops the chase. In dark caverns, their eyes light up, although the illuminated area around them is much smaller than that provided byBulbers and thus far less useful.
In the Prima guide, they are mentioned under Dry Bones in the list of enemies and are presumably renamed as a contrast to them.[3]
New Super Mario Bros. 2[edit]
Fishbones reappear inNew Super Mario Bros. 2, where they keep their design and attack pattern fromNew Super Mario Bros. Wii andSuper Mario World. They appear in three levels:World 3-
Tower,World
Star-3, andWorldStar-6. In this game, Fishbones do side flips when a vocal riff "paah" is heard, similar toCheep Cheeps.
New Super Mario Bros. U /New Super Luigi U[edit]
Fish Bones reappear inNew Super Mario Bros. U, retaining the same attack pattern from their previous appearance. As of this game, they have an updated design with teeth on their lower jaw, as they do in theirSuper Mario World promotional artwork andPaper Mario: Sticker Star. They appear inHaunted Shipwreck andDeepsea Ruins. InNew Super Luigi U, they appear inHaunted Cargo Hold andDeepsea Stone-Eyes.
Super Mario Maker /Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS[edit]
Fish Bones reappear inSuper Mario Maker andSuper Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS. When placing a Dry Bones in the Underwater level style and testing the level, Dry Bones turn into Fish Bones. Additionally, new sprites for Fish Bones have been made for theSuper Mario Bros. andSuper Mario Bros. 3 styles (most notably having longer muzzles and nostrils), as well as theirSuper Mario World sprites being updated with a bluish outline. Fish Bones use once again their attack pattern fromNew Super Mario Bros. Wii in all game styles as well. In theSuper Mario World andNew Super Mario Bros. U styles, Yoshis can eat Fish Bones and spit out bones that fly in straight lines ahead of him. It acts similarly to the fireballs fromSuper Mario World, but can also defeat many fireproof enemies such as Buzzy Beetles and Chain Chomps.
Super Mario Run[edit]
While Fish Bones do not appear as enemies inSuper Mario Run, they can be seen inside the ground in desert levels.
Super Mario Maker 2[edit]
Fish Bones reappear inSuper Mario Maker 2, and are now completely separate from Dry Bones. Thus, they can now be placed on land. Parachutes can also be attached to them. However, they fall apart whenever they touch the ground. If they reach the surface of the water from below, they break apart. If placed in aKoopa Clown Car or ontracks, they can exist above water. In the nighttime sky and airship themes, Fish Bones are able to swim in the air, and can be defeated with a stomp. They also appear in theSuper Mario 3D World style despite not appearing in the source game itself.
Super Mario World television series[edit]
Fishbones, though never referred to as such, made several small appearances in theSuper Mario World cartoon.
A Fishbone first appeared in the episode "The Wheel Thing", where one is used byYoshi to cut a log into wheels to be used in Mario's car factory. In "The Night Before Cave Christmas", both Mario andOogtar use a Fishbone to cut-down several Christmas trees.
In "Rock TV" and "Mama Luigi", two extremely large Fishbones are shown to be decorations in Bowser's throne room.
Super Mario Adventures[edit]
In theSuper Mario Adventures comic, Fishbones, along with several other creatures such asUrchins andPorcu-Puffers, are shown to act as guards/obstacles in the moat surrounding theKoopalings' tower.
Mario Party series[edit]
Mario Party 4[edit]
In theminigameMushroom Medic inMario Party 4, there is a poster in the background with a Cheep Cheep and its Fishbone X-ray. Of note is that the tail fin in the picture is much too large for the accompanying Cheep Cheep's tail fin.
Mario Party 9[edit]
Fish Bones have a minor appearance inMario Party 9 with theirNew Super Mario Bros. Wii design. They appear only during theBlooper Beach Captain Event; when the player lands on anUnlucky Space in that section of the board, a group of Fish Bones attacks them and steals five of their tenMini Stars.
Mario Party 10[edit]
Fish Bones reappear inMario Party 10 inWhimsical Waters. In Mario Party mode, they are present atUnlucky Spaces and deductMini Stars from players landing on said spaces; in Bowser Party mode, they are found in treasure chests duringDragoneel Treasure events, and take away half of the current captain'shearts if their chest is selected.
Super Mario Party[edit]
Although Fish Bones themselves do not appear inSuper Mario Party, a Fish Bone makes a cameo appearance as artwork in the minigameAbsent Minded, where it is one of the character choices that can be guessed.
Super Mario Party Jamboree[edit]
InSuper Mario Party Jamboree, artwork of Fish Bones can appear on a ball in the minigameBig-Top Quiz.
Mario & Luigi series[edit]
Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story[edit]
Fishbones make another appearance inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story during the battle withJunker. When Mario andLuigi manage to defeat aJunker Can, a Fishbone may attempt to attack the plumbers. It attacks by orbiting around one of the two and eventually ramming them, though it can be stopped by counterattacking with the hammer before it does. They do not reappear inMario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey, where their role is taken byScutlets instead.
Mario & Luigi: Dream Team[edit]
Although no Fish Bones appear inMario & Luigi: Dream Team, there are rock carvings with images of Fish Bones inDriftwood Shore.
Mario Kart series[edit]
Mario Kart 7[edit]
Fish Bones make their firstMario Kart appearance inMario Kart 7 and take their design fromNew Super Mario Bros. Wii. They are found inWario Shipyard, where they swim in schools or sometimes alone. Drivers that collide with Fish Bones will simply lose some speed.
Mario Kart 8 /Mario Kart 8 Deluxe[edit]
Fish Bones also appear inMario Kart 8 andMario Kart 8 Deluxe in the underwater section ofTwisted Mansion; unlike inMario Kart 7, however, drivers cannot interact with them. AsN64 Choco Mountain returns in this game, the different sized Fish Bones on the walls of the falling boulder section do as well. They also appear inGBA Boo Lake andPiranha Plant Cove during the underwater section.
Mario Kart Tour[edit]
InMario Kart Tour, several Fish Bones of different sizes can be seen in the walls in the falling boulder section ofN64 Choco Mountain. Fish Bones also appear as obstacles in the returning course3DS Wario Shipyard and are added inGBA Boo Lake, where interacting with them in any way causes them to collapse and give points.
AMii Racing Suit and two karts based on Fish Bones, both of the latter being called theFish Bone Ferry and theGold Fish Bone Ferry, all debut in theNight Tour.
Mario Kart Live: Home Circuit[edit]
Fossilized Fish Bones can be found inMario Kart Live: Home Circuit in theMario Cup (added in the version 1.1.0 update), similarly as to how they appear inMario Kart Tour. They appear on the gates inFossil Fields.
Mario Kart World[edit]
Fish Bone appears as a playable character inMario Kart World, marking its playable debut in both theMario Kart series and theSuper Mario franchise as a whole. Fish Bones additionally appear as obstacles, as in previous games in the series.
Fish Bone is an unlockable character, unlocked for permanent use when theKamek item transforms the player into one for the first time (or, from version 1.3.0 onwards, the player uses aUFO). Kamek can transform players into Fish Bone onDry Bones Burnout. It is a lightweight character, sharing statistics withBaby Mario,Baby Luigi,Baby Rosalina,Goomba,Dry Bones,Sidestepper,Spike, andPeepa.
Paper Mario: Sticker Star[edit]
Fish Bones make an appearance inPaper Mario: Sticker Star. They appear inJungle Rapids, leaping in the water and attempting to destroy the raft Mario uses to cross through the river. They can be removed using the hammer. They wereoriginally going to be fought as enemies, but were cut from the game.[4]
Dr. Mario World[edit]
Fish Bones make theirDr. Mario series debut inDr. Mario World as assistants. In stage mode, they have a chance in increasing capsules by 2 when there are no more capsules left and no further moves could be made. The activation will be checked again when it didn't activate earlier but the condition is met again, but after the effect is activated it will not activate again in the stage. In versus mode, it grants a chance in defending against four-line attacks, which does not stack with the doctor's innate defense. They also appear onWorld 19 alongside Dry Bones when an area is cleared of viruses.
Other appearances[edit]
Fish Bones are referenced in the 1993Super Mario Bros. film, with a neon sign inDinohattan showing a lit up outline of a Fish Bone and text reading "Fishbone" under it.
Fish Bones also appear in theNintendo 3DSFishing AR minigame, where they can be caught after lightning strikes the water.
Profiles and statistics[edit]
Super Mario series[edit]
Super Mario World[edit]
- Mario Mania:This finny fossil follows a straight and narrow path. He's slow but deadly if you dare to step into his territory at the wrong time.[5]
Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten[edit]
| フィッシュボーン (JP) / Fish Bone (EN) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Original text (Japanese) | Translation | ||
| ゴースト | Place of origin | Ghost clan | |
| Disposition | Type to hold a grudge | ||
| ワールド | Game appearances | World | |
| Cheep Cheep as a skeleton!? A fish that has turned into a skeleton. Is it the ghost of Cheep Cheep (p. 190)? This fish sometimes stops for a moment, rests, and then moves on. It is impossible to defeat it, but it swims straight to the left and right, so just avoid it. | |||
Dr. Mario World[edit]
- Stage mode: "Grants 15%/25%/35%/45%/55% chance of extra capsules (2) when all capsules have been used. (Once only.)"
- Versus mode: "Grants 30%/35%/40%/45%/50% chance of defending against four-row attacks."
Gallery[edit]
- For this subject's image gallery, seeGallery:Fish Bone.
Super Mario Maker (Super Mario Bros. style)
Names in other languages[edit]
The contemporaneous name for each language is listed first. Subsequent names are listed in chronological order for each language, from oldest to newest, and have the media they are associated with in the "notes" column.
| Language | Name | Meaning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese | フィッシュボーン[6][7] Fisshu Bōn | Fish Bone | |
| Chinese(Simplified) | 鱼骨头[8][9] Yú Gǔtou | Fish Bone | |
| Chinese(Traditional) | 魚骨頭[9] Yú Gǔtou | Fish Bone | |
| Dutch | Fish Bone[9] | - | |
| French(Canadian) | Poissonos[9] | Pun onpoisson ("fish") andos ("bone") | |
| French(European) | Ossec[10][11][9] | Agglutination ofos sec ("dry bone"); shared with Dry Bones | |
| German | Skelettfisch[9] | Skeleton Fish | |
| Skelett-Fisch[12][13] | Super Mario World | ||
| Italian | Pesce Lisca[9] | Frompesce ("fish") andlisca ("fishbone") | |
| Skelopesce[14] | Portmanteau ofscheletro ("skeleton") andpesce ("fish"); shared withBonefin | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (first edition) | |
| Pesce lisca[15] | Frompesce ("fish") andlisca ("fishbone") | Super Mario Bros. Encyclopedia (second edition) | |
| Korean | 피시본[9] Pisi Bon | Fish Bone | |
| Polish | Ościak[16] | Fromość ("fishbone") | |
| Portuguese(Brazilian) | Espinhosso[17] | Pun onespinhoso ("prickly"), as well as a blend ofespinha ("fish bone") andosso ("bone") | |
| Portuguese(European) | Espinhas[18] | Fish Bones | |
| Russian | Рыба-скелет[9] Ryba-skelet | Skeleton Fish | |
| Spanish | Pezueso[19][9] | Pun onpez ("fish") andhueso ("bone") |
References[edit]
- ^"When a Fishbones spots you, it becomes enraged and charges you. It’s often best to turn its temper to your advantage! Wait near a wall until the Fishbones charges you, then dart out of its path just before it reaches you. You can even coax two different Fishbones to crash into each other." – von Esmarch, Nick (2012).New Super Mario Bros. 2: PRIMA Official Game Guide. Roseville:Prima Games. ISBN978-0-307-89552-3. Page 25.
- ^ab1994. 「パーフェクト版 マリオキャラクター大事典」 (Perfect Ban Mario Character Daijiten).Shogakukan (Japanese). Page180.
- ^ab"Wet Bones, on the other hand, are dead fish that wait in the dark and only attack, like a torpedo, once Mario is near. Stay out of their way and dodge their attacks." – Bueno, Fernando (November 15, 2009).New Super Mario Bros. Wii PRIMA Official Game Guide.Prima Games (American English). ISBN978-0-307-46592-4. Page15.
- ^https://tcrf.net/Paper_Mario:_Sticker_Star#Enemies_2
- ^August 1991. NintendoMario Mania Player's Guide.Nintendo of America (American English). Page 51.
- ^Kagawa, Ryo (APE/Shigesato Itoi), Koichi Toda (100 Percent), Masaki Kuramochi (100 Percent), Shigeo Tanabe, Naomaru Asao, and Ryuji Osawa, editors (1991). "UNIT 2 CHARACTER" in『任天堂公式ガイドブック スーパーマリオワールド』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN4-09-104117-5. Page 31.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, and Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), editors (2015). 『スーパーマリオブラザーズ百科: 任天堂公式ガイドブック』. Tokyo:Shogakukan (Japanese). ISBN978-4-09-106569-8. Page 56, 146, 196, 211.
- ^In-game name from the ending of theiQue version ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2. (Archived 28 Aug. 2013 via Baidu Teiba by 无敌阿尔宙斯.)
- ^abcdefghijEnemies (2019).Super Mario Maker 2 byNintendo EPD.Nintendo.
- ^Mario Kart World in-game name from French localization. (Archived 8 Jun. 2025 via YouTube by Galax.)
- ^In-game name from the ending ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (French). (Archived 19 Nov. 2010 via YouTube by Diddy64wii.)
- ^Menold, Marcus, Claude M. Moyse, and Andreas G. Kämmerer, editors (1993).Der offizielle Nintendo Spieleberater "Super Mario World". Großostheim:Nintendo of Europe GmbH (German). Page 19.
- ^In-game name from the ending ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (German). (Archived 15 Oct. 2011 via YouTube by Spendem.)
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2018).Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia. Translated by Marco Amerighi. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN889367436X. Page 56, 146, 196, 211.
- ^Sakai, Kazuya (ambit), kikai, Akinori Sao, Junko Fukuda, Kunio Takayama, Ko Nakahara (Shogakukan), and Marco Figini, editors (2025).Super Mario Bros. Enciclopedia (2nd ed.). Translated by Alessandro Apreda. Milan:Magazzini Salani (Italian). ISBN979-1259575760. Page 56, 146, 196, 211.
- ^In-game name displayed on the character selection screen fromMario Kart World.Archived byReese Rivers (talk).
- ^In-game name for theFish Bone Mii Racing Suit inMario Kart Tour.
- ^In-game name fromMario Kart World.
- ^In-game name from the ending ofSuper Mario World: Super Mario Advance 2 (European Spanish). (Archived 12 Sept. 2021 via YouTube by El Tiempo Es Ahora.)
- Cheep Cheeps
- Skeletons
- Playable characters
- Dinosaur Dilemma enemies
- Dr. Mario World
- Mario Kart 7 species
- Mario Kart 8 species
- Mario Kart Tour species
- Mario Kart World characters
- Mario Kart World species
- Mario Party 9
- New Super Luigi U enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. 2 enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. U enemies
- New Super Mario Bros. Wii enemies
- Super Mario Maker enemies
- Super Mario Maker 2 enemies
- Super Mario World enemies
- Super Nintendo World characters
