Bladderfish (Subnautica)
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Category | Herbivores |
| Tab | Fauna |
| Attitude | Passive |
| Health | 30 |
| Biomes | Dunes, Grand Reef, Grassy Plateaus, Kelp Forest, Mushroom Forest, Safe Shallows, Lost River, Tree Cove, Primary Containment Facility Aquarium |
| Active During | Diurnal (Day Only) |
| Debug Spawn | bladderfish |
Food & Water Stats
| Item | Category | Description | Size | Debug Spawn | Food | H2O | O2 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bladderfish | Food & Water | Unique outer membrane has potential as a natural water filter. | 1 | bladderfish | +6 | -4 | +15 | Bioreactor: +210 Energy |
| Cooked Bladderfish | Food & Water | Spongy. Gristly. Low calorie count. Thankfully odorless. | 1 | cookedbladderfish | +16 | +4 | - | - |
| Cured Bladderfish | Food & Water | Reminiscent of jerky. Dehydrating, but keeps well. | 1 | curedbladderfish | +16 | -2 | - | - |
Alien lifeforms may have unexpected applications. Utilizing alien resources is a proven survival strategy. ― PDA, Dialogue
The Bladderfish is a small, passive fauna species. It can be caught and is edible, mostly populating in the Safe Shallows and the Grand Reef.
The Bladderfish stands out in comparison to other small fish, as it can be used to craft Filtered Water. As a result, Bladderfish are a good source of H2O, though not as good as Disinfected Water and Large Filtered Water.
Being slow and passive, Bladderfish are easy to catch, especially during night time, when they are next to immobile due to their diurnal properties.
Eating a raw Bladderfish will restore fifteen points of Oxygen, which can save the player in certain situations. This only works in Survival and Hardcore modes.
Bladderfish are attracted by the Grav Trap if one is placed nearby and can be quite helpful for early game water harvesting.
Appearance
The Bladderfish is a small creature comprised of a long, extremely thin main body with pale-purple coloured translucent bladders on top and bottom. These bladders have slim tubes protruding from their outer edges, the tips of which glow pink.
The Bladderfish's head is bright orange and ovular in shape, possessing a pair of large eyes and no mouth. The bladders have a faint violet bioluminescent glow. Its main body is reddish-pink with light green spots.
Behavior
Bladderfish aimlessly swim around and will flee if approached by the player or a shark classified fauna. Bladderfish are curious and will swim towards dead fauna and trap classified fauna. Bladderfish become last active at night, making them easier to catch.
Bladderfish are attracted by the Grav Trap if one is placed nearby and can be quite helpful for early game water harvesting.
Comparison to Tanks
Bladderfish, interestingly, is a viable option to extend periods of diving rather than carrying additional tanks in the inventory. However, this strategy has the downside of dehydration caused by eating raw bladderfish, which may require the player to carry extra sources of water, as well as additional time needed for growth.
- Each Bladderfish only takes up 1 inventory space and replenishes 15 units of O2.
- Standard O₂ Tank takes up 6 inventory spaces and will replenish 30 units of O2, making it 5 units per slot.
- High Capacity O₂ Tank and Lightweight High Capacity Tank take up 6 inventory spaces and will replenish 90 units of O2, making it 15 units per slot, which is equivalent to the Bladderfish.
- Ultra High Capacity Tank takes up 9 inventory spaces and will replenish 180 units of O2, making it 20 units per slot. Which makes it the only tank that will replenish more O2 per slot than the Bladderfish. However, unlike the Bladderfish or other tanks carrying additional Ultra High Capacity Tanks will reduce the players Swimming Speed. This may in fact be the reason why other tanks do not reduce Swimming Speed.
Hence, breeding Bladderfish in an Alien Containment can be a better option than crafting additional Tanks. Bladderfish use inventory space more efficiently, do not require materials to craft, do not reduce Swimming Speed, and, when consumed, will free up inventory space unlike swapping tanks. They do have numerous downsides however, being the dehydration they cause, which may require the player to carry extra sources of water; it is inefficient to replenish oxygen this way as other tanks do not require any materials for refilling and furthermore do so much quicker than bladderfish do.
In conclusion both ways have their own pros and cons and thus usage largely depends on the situation. The most practical option is simply to operate near a powered submersible.
Energy Value
× 
= 210
Uses in Crafting
Data Bank Entry
(No target detected)
Gallery
A Bladderfish held in the Player's hand
Size comparison with the player
A Bladderfish in the Safe Shallows
Bladderfish's model from Sketchfab
Trivia
The original name for this creature was Bladderfish. It was later changed to Airsack, but was then changed back to Bladderfish again in the PRAWN Update.