How To Find Creature Enamel

The following contains some light location and equipment spoilers for Subnautica 2.

Even in its current Early Access state, Subnautica 2 already features a bunch of odd resources to identify and track down. Some critical resources like Conduit Crystal are hard to find even after you know where to look, but there’s another equally important ingredient you’re eventually going to need, especially when you start digging deeper into the game’s Mod Station offerings.

As with our previous guide, you’ll be venturing out to the Alien Ruins to procure Creature Enamel. This region contains some of Subnautica 2‘s more hazardous wildlife but, unlike Conduit Crystal, this particular resource can usually be found in abundance, once you learn how to spot it.

Why Do You Need Creature Enamel?

A player at a Fabricator inspects the crafting recipe for Enameled Glass in Subnautica 2

Creature Enamel is required to convert regular Glass into Enameled Glass, which factors into numerous Subnautica 2 upgrades. In addition to the Bioscanner, you’ll eventually find a blueprint for the Feedback Resonator, granting you a projectile weapon of sorts, which factors into a critical mainline quest.

Beyond that, Enameled Glass is necessary for a module that lets your Tadpole travel deeper underwater without breaking apart, as well as for the Strike Armor mod to protect against collision damage. For those who like building their habitats at greater depths, you’ll also need Enameled Glass to craft a “Time of Day Display,” which is essentially a wall clock that tells you if it’s day or night.

To craft Enameled Glass, you’ll need to combine 1 unit of Glass and 1 unit of Creature Enamel in a Fabricator.

Where to Find Creature Enamel

A player driving a Tadpole approaches a rocky outcropping with an Enameled Husk in their sights in Subnautica 2

Once you’ve escaped that angry Leviathan and approach the Alien Ruins area, you’ll run into a feisty territorial shark known as the Needler Mango, whose bright red markings help it stand out in the dark water. Usually Needlers are heard before they’re seen, regularly shooting out javelin-like darts that make a rhythmic crunchy sound on release and a thunk after hitting a wall (or your Tadpole).

A player holding a Bioscanner observes a Needler Mango shooting darts at their unmanned Tadpole in Subnautica 2

Before you get to the Alien Ruins basecamp—approximately 1300 meters east of the Lifepod—you’ll start seeing Needlers around the mountainside, which means that Enamel Husks can be found nearby. From a distance, these look like clusters of white sticks or bones, as if someone shattered plastic cutlery and shoved the shards into big grey wads of chewing gum. Blast these clusters apart with your Sonic Resonator to receive Creature Enamel, usually a few units at a time.

A player expressing bubbles swims towards two Enamel Husks in a rock wall above a geode-like structure in Subnautica 2

Something to consider before you go Enamel-hunting: Needlers love using your Tadpole for target practice, even when you’re not in the driver’s seat. After exiting to gather Creature Enamel, I’ve often returned to find a significantly damaged Tadpole wedged into a crevice, knocked around by the force of the darts. It’s an interesting detail, because most other Subnautica 2 sea creatures don’t pay much attention to your vehicle when you’re not riding it, but Needlers aren’t quite so discerning.