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Hey @egopfe
I agree with @lgwvphoto , AF-C and 3D tracking works very well with the Z9/Z8, especially for macro/fish portraits.
In fact, I have been almost using exclusively AF-C 3D with my Nikon cameras since the AF reached D500 levels of goodness (meaning for the last 8 years). It’s extremely rare I touch Back Button Focus (BBF).
One of my pleasures in life is to tease Jim Decker (CEO of Backscatter), and James Emery (Backscatter’s Marketing manager), two very experienced photographers who swear by BBF, about the fact that “FBF” is a thing, and it works more often than not 😃
I like FBF because it frees my right thumb to wiggle around to reach to the AF-On back button. In turn, that means I can shoot single-handed most of the time (also because I have a hand-strap attached to my right handle), and my left hand is free to do lighting adjustments, grab onto something or my gear.
Regarding animal detection, yes it sometimes works and when it does, it’s really helpful. See my detailed review of the Z9 autofocus here: https://theunderwaterclub.com/blog/nikon-z9-review-part-2-autofocus-performance/
I have had great joy using it with the Z-mount 105mm MC lens, it works so well that I usually go AF-C 3D when shooting supermacro through a diopter (a scenario where I would do BBF with the D500).
@yazid has been using the Z9 longer than I have, with great results and he also found the animal detection quite handy, maybe he’ll share more insights here. He did join me and @Bill for a panel discussion on the differences between Nikon DSLR and Z9/Z8 cameras, where we discussed AF at length. You can watch it here: Fireside Chat: Mirrorless vs DSLR cameras