Mutations are special versions of a fish that multiply both its sale value and the cash it earns while it sits on display in your pool. You can get one in two ways: catch a mutated fish in the river with your net as it spawns, or fuse duplicate fish into a higher mutation in the Fish Cooler.
| Mutation | Multiplier | Can you get it? |
|---|---|---|
| Shiny | 1.15x | Yes |
| Gold | 1.25x | Yes |
| Crystal | 1.35x | Yes |
| Glitched | 1.5x | Yes |
| Rainbow | 2x | Yes |
| Starlit | 2.5x | Yes |
| Haunted | 3x | No longer available |
Each multiplier applies to both sale value and display earnings, so a Rainbow fish sells for and earns twice what its normal version does. Starlit is the strongest mutation you can get, at 2.5x. Haunted has the highest number on the list at 3x, but you can't get it, so it's not worth chasing.
How to Catch Mutated Fish in Net a Fish
The most direct way to get a mutation is to catch one. Mutated fish spawn in the river, and you catch them the same way as any other fish: cast your net in the water and see what comes up.
Catching is also the quicker start. Fusion needs ten normal fish just to make one Shiny, while a mutated fish you catch can be displayed in your pool or sold right away.
Ways to Raise Your Mutation Catch Rate in Net a Fish
Three things raise your odds of catching mutated fish.
- Upgrade the Mutation Magnet. Open the Upgrades menu, select Fishing, and scroll down to the Mutation Magnet. Each upgrade raises your chance of catching mutated fish, so keep upgrading it regularly.
- Fish during mutation events. Wave Rush sends tsunami waves down the river and brings more mutated fish with them. Shimmer Surge raises the chance that fish spawn with a mutation, and Lucky Tide boosts Luck for everyone on the server while also helping your mutation catches. To see which events are running, check the events icon in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Use a mutation bait. Glitter Lure, Starlight Worm, and Phoenix Feather all increase your chance of catching mutated fish. Each one unlocks at the Bait Shop after you complete certain Rebirths, so you'll need to reach those first. Once a bait is unlocked, use it while you fish.
How Fusion Creates Mutated Fish in Net a Fish
Fusion is the second route. You combine a set number of duplicate fish, and the game turns them into one fish of the next mutation. You do this in the Fish Cooler, where the fusion screen shows your selection along with a Fuse All option. Check that selection before you confirm, since the fish you pick are used up in the process.
- Fuse 10 normal fish to make 1 Shiny.
- Fuse 8 Shiny fish to make 1 Gold.
- Fuse 6 Gold fish to make 1 Crystal.
- Fuse 4 Crystal fish to make 1 Glitched.
- Fuse 3 Glitched fish to make 1 Rainbow.
- Fuse 2 Rainbow fish to make 1 Starlit.
The counts drop as you climb, but each step needs fish from the step before it, so a Starlit sits at the top of a long chain.
Keeping Mutated Fish Out of Auto-Sell
Auto-sell sells fish from your cooler on its own once they're at or below the rarity threshold you pick. Without protection, a mutated fish at that rarity can be sold along with everything else, and you lose the value the mutation added. Set this up before you let auto-sell run.
- Open the Fish Cooler and go to Auto-Sell settings.
- Turn on Keep Mutated Fish.
- Set your rarity threshold low while you're learning, so fewer fish are sold automatically.
Keep Mutated Fish works separately from the threshold. With it on, Shiny, Gold, Crystal, Glitched, and Rainbow catches can stay in the cooler even when they're at or below the threshold. Menus and balance can change with updates, so check the switch after one and make sure it's on before you rely on it.
