Subnautica is home to some fearsome creatures. Rather than focus on all of planet 4546B, I just want to educate everyone on the aggressive ones and ways they can be handled.
Preface
So, you clicked on this to learn about almost everything that can hurt you in this game. Here’s what you can expect to see in this guide:
Name. Of course, the name of the creature
Picture. How they look, so you know what I’m talking about
Location. Where these creatures can be found
Abilities. This includes their behavior, any special abilities they have, as well as how much damage they do to a player
How to deal with. This will include strategies to avoid or handle the creature when encountered. PLEASE NOTE!!! I will not be going over how to fight or kill these, since it typically isn’t necessary or, for most creatures, even plausible. Subnautica is not a combat based game, so don’t expect me to tell you how to kill them.
Are we clear on that? Good…so that out of the way…Let’s Begin!
Stalkers
Likely one of the first aggressive fish you will meet on this game, this is the Stalker.
This fearsome looking fish dwells in two regions throughout Subnautica, particularly in Creepvine Forests and around the crashed Aurora. They display very interesting behavior, such as their affection for metal. They are generally okay with the player until you get too close. When turning hostile, they let out a very audible roar, open their large mouths, and begin to chase the player. If they bite you, it does 30% damage. Meaning 4 bites will kill you. Also, if you have a scanner room, and a Stalker gets close enough, they can actually grab the camera drones in their mouths and swim off with it. This can result in camera drones being taken out of range, or attract Stalkers to your base.
There are a couple options you have when dealing with angry Stalkers.
A. If you have metal salvage, drop it. they will sometimes forget you and go for that chunk of metal. This is rare, however
B. If you happen to have a fish in your inventory, hold it in your hand and they may eat it out of your hand. Doing this will “tame” the Stalker for a short amount of time, and in reward sometimes he will find metal salvage and bring it to you. NOTE: this will only affect the fed Stalker, others will remain aggressive unless fed as well
C. Simply swim away. They swim quickly but as long as you arent swimming backwards away from them, you should get far enough that he will stop and go about his business again. if you have a seaglide, even better.
Gasopods
The Gasopod is not as hostile as other creatures here, but I feel like he still deserves a spot.
These clumsy looking fellas are found within the Safe Shallows, Dunes, and around the Crash Zone Mesas, and will not actively try to harm the player. However, if you get too close and they perceive you as a threat, they will release several little glowing greenish-yellow orbs. DO NOT GET CLOSE TO THESE ORBS!!! When ruptured, they release a very deadly cloud of toxic gas, hence the creatures name. This gas can kill you in seconds, literally. I tried to determine the exact amount of damage the rupture and gas does but it was too hard. If anyone knows the exact numbers, please comment and I will add them and credit you for finding out.
To safely deal with these guys, do one of the following:
A. Simply avoid them. They hold no value to the game until after you acquire a Seamoth, in which the gas orbs can be used to make gas torpedoes. But generally, there is no use putting yourself in this kind of danger.
B. Use a repulsion cannon if you have one. The orbs can in fact be pushed with the repulsion cannon, and picked up with the propulsion cannon. this can make bypassing them easy.
Sandsharks
These frightful looking fish are called Sandsharks. They can be found all over the world, in caves, the Grassy Plateaus, near the Aurora and large wrecks, and the Dunes biome. They will attack if a player gets too close, and are quite persistent. They hunt by burrowing underground with the little “leg” looking things under them and moving under the surface. They whip up a large dust cloud behind them as they do so it shouldn’t surprise you too badly. When something gets too close, they suddenly tunnel out and go straight for them. They chase for a long time too, and do about 30% damage per bite. They roar fiercely when beginning to pursue but when they stop they let out a soft, fading roar.
There are ways to protect yourself, though.
A. Swim UP. They will chase for a long distance, but I personally have noticed that they don’t like going to the surface of the water.
B. Try to avert their attention. If you’re lucky, sometimes they will choose to forget you and go for more appetizing fish for food. So swim towards large groups of fish.
C. CARRY A SEAGLIDE. These are very fast predators and will catch up to you if you try to swim away normally. With a seaglide you might outrun…or outswim?….them and get away.
Biters
We’ve all encountered these little mosquitoes of the ocean. The biters can be seen in the grassy plateaus, mountains biome, and the jellyshroom caves. Of course, they do exactly as their name suggests. A single bite does anywhere from 7%-10% damage. So a single one isn’t too big of a threat, but there’s rarely just one. If these subnautica pirhanas swarm you, you are in for a lot of pain and likely death. There are also zombified variants found in the blood kelp biomes known as Blighters. Thankfully, there are safeguards to avoid both of these.
A. Offer them a fish from your inventory. They will eat it out of your hand and leave you alone. Only do this if ONE is pestering you.
B. swim in unpredictable motions. They will chase but eventually break off. They swim pretty fast however, so be wary of that.
Crashfish
These irritating pests are called Crashfish. Like the Gasopods, their behavior is more defensive. They dwell in large red flowers, usually in caves, particularly in the Kelp Forests and Safe Shallows biomes. If the player gets too close to the plant, the Crashfish will emit a loud growling sound and pursue the player at very high speeds, making escaping quite difficult, and then self destruct for huge damage to the player AND vehicles. That’s not to say they are unbeatable though, as there are some things that can be done with them.
A. Avoid the plants, thus preventing them from emerging.
B. Seaglide behind turns. They may be fast but if you can get some walls between them and you, you will increase your chances of survival.
Bleeders
These are Bleeders, parasitic creatures that can be found in the Kelp Forests, Sparse Reef, Lost River, but most prominently in the Aurora’s ruined interior. They are leeches, grabbing the player’s arm and beginning to suck blood from them. This does very little damage, but adds up if not dealt with. Also worth noting, is it also lowers the player’s food level. In order to remove them, the player must punch the Bleeder repeatedly until it lets go. They are attracted to blood, which means killing one may attract more. It’s easy to become frustrated with these parasites, but there are ways of saving yourself.
A. Note their locations and swim away. If one latches on, swim away to avoid attracting more before dealing with it.
B. Propulsion/repulsion cannons. As small as they are, these tools will make getting them out of the way much easier.
Crabsnake
This snake-like beast of your nightmares is the deadly Crabsnake. Found exclusively in the Jellyshroom Caves, they are your biggest threat in that biome. They hide within the large jellyshrooms, and will pop out and attack the player for 35 damage if they get too close. While being attacked, a special animation plays of the Crabsnake using its larger pincer-like appendages to grab on to the player and the smaller mouth biting repeatedly. After attacking, they tend to return to inside the mushroom, or swim away to patrol and ultimately hide in a new jellyshroom. If approached by a vehicle (namely the Seamoth), they will peek out of the jellyshroom and hiss at the player as a warning, then retreat back in. To handle these fiends, do the following:
A: Swim high above the jellyshrooms. This will allow you to look down inside the plant to see if there is a Crabsnake hiding within. Alternately, you may swim close to the ground under them.
B: Observe them and wait until they hide. This way you can get a good idea of what plants these monsters are hiding in to avoid them.
C: Use a vehicle. They do minor damage to vehicles, and don’t always directly attack them.
Boneshark
This frightful armoured carnivore is the Boneshark, found in many biomes, but most prominently in the Bulb Zone, Underwater Islands, and Crag Field. They do 30 damage per bite, and are incredibly aggressive, attacking any living thing, but will alert the player with an angry screech when preparing to attack or pursue. These sharks are also quite quick and can easily catch up to a fleeing player They are attracted to light, thus making them dangerous when exploring at night with a flashlight. There are a few ways to save yourself from them.
A: Swim into a hoard of other fauna, they may lose interest.
B: Use their light attraction against them, by throwing flares, thus causing them to attack it instead, giving you a chance to escape.
C: If exploring at night, watch for their bioluminescent eyes, and turn off your flashlight or Seamoth headlights to cruise past, and they may not disturb you.
Crabsquid
Located in the Blood Kelp, DEEP Grand Reef, and Lost River biomes, these monstrosities are more than annoying. Similar to Bonesharks, they have an affinity for light, attacking lit objects. They do a whopping 40 damage per hit, but that’s not what makes these so dangerous. The image I have shown demonstrates its most infamous ability: an EMP blast! Upon using this attack, any electrical objects will be shut down. This means tools become unusable for a duration, Vehicles are stunned, and it can even disable Seabase power, making setting up a home near these a huge challenge. Dealing with them is hard, but there are a couple ways
A: Be sneaky. If one is nearby, turn off any lights you have and move carefully to avoid them.
B: Try to distract them with flares. Not as effective as it is against Bonesharks, but still possible.
Ampeel
As I avoid making electricity puns, I will tell you about the dangerous Ampeel.
Originally called ‘Shockers’, these serpentine beasts are a special breed of annoying. Found in the Blood Kelp and Bulb zones, these things do a tremendous 45 damage per bite. However, the electricity they generate does only 15 damage. Despite that, this electricity makes them incredibly hazardous to vehicles. There is only one way to properly deal with them:
A: Generally avoid. Flee if they are angered.
Mesmer
This deceptive alien creature is known as the Mesmer. These are incredibly interesting creatures. When in range, they will face the player, and the camera will be forced to turn to look at them and the player is pulled toward them, all the while the PDA voice is saying things like “Go closer…do not resist…it is your primary directive to swim closer.” When the player is close enough, the Mesmer will suddenly open its mouth to attack the player for 35 damage, then flee. There is a way of avoiding this though.
A: Look away. Even though the camera will be pulled back in the Mesmer’s direction, if the player is able to look far enough away, the Mesmer will just give up on the hypnosis and swim away.
Blood/Cave Crawlers
These spidery creatures can be found in almost every biome. Cave Crawlers and Blood Crawlers are nearly identical, with Blood Crawlers having much longer legs and blue skin as opposed to the brown color of the Cave Crawlers. They do a minuscule 5 damage per bite, but if the player is swarmed, can become deadly. There are a few ways to handle them.
A: Swim high. They can jump relatively high, but if the player is high enough, they will not be bothered.
B. Repulsion cannon. They can be blasted away easily due to their small size.
Lava Lizard
This horrifying beast of evil is the Lava Lizard. These things are very unique in their abilities, and they live in the active and inactive lava biomes. They have 2 different attacks, spitting lava, and biting, both of which do 30 damage. What’s even more interesting is they can swim through lava, creating a shell of hardened lava on their back, which acts as armor. It can be broken using the knife, or the repulsion cannon. Not much you can do with them other than:
1: Use a vehicle. They may eat the Lava larvae off the vehicle, without harming you
2: Avoid altogether
River Prowler
Originally called Spine Eels, these creepy things…well…prowl the Lost River biome.
They do a mild 30 damage per hit, and make very loud and ghastly noises when you are in their vicinity.
They chase the player and lash out with its tendrils when close enough. Despite appearing so frightening, there is very little distinctive behavioral traits it displays. They simply swim around and attack with bites if a player comes into range. How do you deal with them?
A: Flee or avoid.
Warper
These are cybernetic creatures built by the precursors. The Warpers are VERY unique in their abilities, and are arguably the deadliest non-leviathan creature in all of Subnautica.
They will only attack the player if the player’s infection level is high enough. When attacking, it can use its arm-like appendages to slash the player, doing an insane 65 damage! However, there is one thing that makes them frustrating: their warping abilities! Not only can they teleport around, they can also shoot orbs at the player that do 5 damage, and warp the player elsewhere, usually right near the Warper for it to attack the player, resulting in a total of 70 damage. To make things worse, they can actually shoot the orb at a player while they are piloting a PRAWN suit or Seamoth, and this will actually force the player outside the vehicle, vulnerable to further attack! AND if the player dodges the warp orb attack, when the orb dissipates after missing, it will spawn in some more aggressive creatures corresponding to the biome the player and Warper are in. For example, if the player is in the Northern Blood Kelp Zone, the Warper could teleport in a Blood Crawler, a Blighter, an Ampeel or a Crabsquid. This makes them incredibly dangerous. How to deal with them? well…
A: Stasis rifle. While using the stasis rifle is usually effective against any threatening creature (Which is why I have not listed it under every single one) it is not a very effective means of dealing with them, being worth noting that they can be stunned with it briefly before teleporting away, possibly farther from the player.
B: Avoid altogether, flee as best you can.
WARNING! LEVIATHAN-CLASS PREDATORS!
Reaper Leviathan
Subnautica’s most infamous inhabitant! THIS is the Reaper Leviathan!
This massive behemoth can be found around the crashed Aurora, the dunes, and the mountains and mountain islands. Their normal attack does a ridiculous 80 damage! If the player is below 80 health, the Reaper will use the large mandibles to impale the player by grabbing them, then pulling them into its mouth, killing the player instantly. What makes this species even worse is that they can grab onto the Seamoth with its mandibles to do 40%-60% damage, or 15%-25% to the PRAWN suit. so how does one deal with these creatures?
A: If you hear its roar, RUN. If it locks onto you and gives chase, it can follow the player extreme distances, if it doesn’t kill the player first.
B: Hide in caves. The Reaper’s large size makes it incapable of reaching the player if they swim into a ravine on the ocean floor, or caves.
C: Feed it. While this doesn’t always work, I have seen it myself that the reaper can accept small fish from the player. THIS DOES NOT TAME IT! It simply deters the Reaper from attacking the player for a short time. During this time, the player should flee.
D: Sacrifice your Seamoth. As sad as this may be, if your life is more valuable than the sub, bail out of the Seamoth and let the Reaper play with and destroy it while the player escapes.
Ghost Leviathan
This spectral entity is known as the Ghost Leviathan. They lurk in the Lost River, Grand Reef, Northern Blood kelp zones, as well as the void, or as it is more officially called now, the Dead Zone.
These gargantuan leviathans are said to have their breeding ground in the Ghost Tree area, despite not spawning there, and they can do a tremendous amount of damage. More specifically they do 85 damage to the player, approximately 40 and 15 to the Seamoth and PRAWN suit respectively, and about 220 to the Cyclops. When attacking, they open their mouths and dash forward. How on earth does one deal with them?
A: Hide in small areas. These are actually larger than the Reaper, and thus, by hiding in small tight areas the player can avoid damage.
B: If encountered in the Dead Zone, return to mainland IMMEDIATELY. These even larger versions of the Ghost Leviathan are there specifically to deter players from venturing too far out into the abyss.
Sea Dragon Leviathan
And so…we finish this guide with the biggest(aside from emperor), meanest, and most dangerous creature in the game. The Sea Dragon Leviathan!
This creature is incredibly powerful and VERY dangerous. It utilizes a variety of attacks. If the player is on either side of it in front, it will swing its large arms to swat the player, dealing 40 damage. It can also bite the player, though…its not so much a bite as it is SWALLOWING THE PLAYER WHOLE! This is an instant kill in all circumstances. Despite being underwater, this dragon can still breathe fire. Its traditional fire breath only deals 20 damage per hit, BUT it has a variant, referred to as a meteor attack that does 80 damage! Like the Reaper, it can grab the Seamoth and PRAWN suits in its mouth to do 10%-20% damage, and the meteor doing 24%-48% damage. This is also one of the few creatures in the game that will attack the Cyclops, ramming into it with enough force to tip the sub on its side or even fully upside-down. How do you deal with it?
A: AVOID AT ALL COSTS! There is no logical way to deal with this creature, as it can destroy almost anything you throw at it, and due to the environment it is found in, it is very difficult to hide from. The only suggestion I have is to flee and avoid it as much as you can.
Epilogue
Well this took forever. oh well. So I hope this helped inform you of the dangerous creatures that lurk within the waters of planet 4546B, and taught you ways to avoid them or at least stand a better chance during an encounter.
Thanks for reading, and stay safe out there.
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