How to Catch the Rare Prejek Paddlefish in Mass Effect 3 (Guide)

The Prejek Paddlefish is arguably the most intriguing—and hardest to track down—fish you can obtain in Mass Effect 3. If you’re looking for a step-by-step path to get this rare catch, plus the exclusive intel bonus it unlocks, this guide breaks down exactly what you need to do.

Why the Prejek Paddlefish Is So Hard to Get

Unlike most fish in Mass Effect 3, the Prejek Paddlefish takes serious effort. To acquire it, you must complete a full run of Mass Effect 2 and pass a chain of specific checks during that playthrough so the fish can be carried over into Mass Effect 3.

The payoff is worth it: this intel item offers one of the strongest perk setups across the available intel bonuses. Because of that, it’s smart to plan carefully rather than rushing.

How to Obtain the Prejek Paddlefish (Mass Effect 2 → 3)

Your journey starts early in Mass Effect 2. During your second conversation with Kelly, she’ll ask what you want your relationship to be. Choose either “I liked it” or “Informal is fine.” That choice matters because it unlocks the next step.

Collector Ship setup

Once you’ve completed the “Collector Ship” mission in Mass Effect 2, return to Kelly. If your relationship with her is flirty or informal, she’ll ask whether you’d like to have dinner in the Captain’s Cabin. The game doesn’t spell out what this leads to, but it effectively allows Kelly to recover Shepard’s fish between Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3.

Buy the fish on the Citadel

After that, head to Illium and purchase the Prejek Paddlefish from the Citadel Souvenirs store. The base price is 8,000 credits. If you also finish the “Illium: Blue Rose of Illium” assignment right next to it, you’ll get a discount, bringing the cost down to 6,666 credits.

Decide your timing after “Jokers Jump”

The next critical moment arrives after completing the “Jokers Jump” mission. At that point, you’ll choose whether to hit the Collector Base right away or spend time preparing first. If you followed the recommended order from the Mass Effect 2 guide referenced here, you likely won’t have many other tasks left and can proceed immediately. Still, the original guide flags this as an important decision point.

Bring the fish back in Mass Effect 3

The process finally pays off in Mass Effect 3. After “Priority: Palaven,” go back to the Citadel and head to the Docks: Holding Area. Look at the Cargo Hold: B shipping container area in the middle to find Kelly. If you completed the Mass Effect 2 steps correctly, she’ll return your fish—including the Prejek Paddlefish—assuming it was alive in your most recent Mass Effect 2 save.

How to Claim the Prejek Paddlefish Intel Bonus

• Prerequisite: Start Mass Effect 3 with New Game +
• Location: SSV Normandy SR-2 → Crew Deck → Liara’s Cabin
• Bonus Selection:
  • +10% Weapon Damage
  • +10% Power Damage

You’ve got the fish in place—now you still need to keep it alive for the entire story run of Mass Effect 3. That’s why the Aquarium VI is especially useful. When you finish the main story, go to the main menu and start New Game → Import ME3 Character, selecting the profile that includes the Prejek Paddlefish.

After that, you’ll receive the intel notification once you finish speaking with Captain Bailey at the beginning of “Priority: The Citadel 1.” Then, complete that mission and return to the Intel Terminal in Liara’s Cabin to redeem the reward.

More Mass Effect 3 Help (Guide Index)

If you want additional support, the guide lists several related pages to check out:

• Legendary Edition Changes
• How-To Guides
• Key Choices and Consequences
• Romance Guide
• Walkthrough
• Side Missions

Guide Sections and Navigation

The page also highlights a few “top guide sections” you can jump into next:

• Legendary Edition Changes
• Game Basics
• Tips and Tricks
• How-To Guides

That’s everything covered for this guide’s current section.