A new deep-sea fish species with distinctive red facial stripes has been discovered in the South China Sea after first being spotted on online seafood markets.
Scientists have named the species Branchiostegus sanae due to its resemblance to the protagonist San from the Studio Ghibli film Princess Mononoke.
The newly identified tilefish was first noticed by researchers browsing seafood listings online. After obtaining specimens and conducting genetic analysis, they confirmed it as a previously unknown species, according to a study published in the journal ZooKeys.
"Finding a new species in this group is a rare and fortunate event, especially one as distinctive as Branchiostegus sanae," said study lead author Haochen Huang.
Princess Mononoke... the fish!
— ZooKeys (@ZooKeys_Journal) February 11, 2025
Inspired by the facial markings of this newly discovered species, researchers gave it a Ghibli-inspired name. 🐟
🔗 Read all about it on the @Pensoft blog: https://t.co/MN8nnSQFMq pic.twitter.com/NuFefFFu2U
The fish's moniker also aligns with the character's Japanese name, Mononoke, which refers to supernatural spirits—an appropriate connection given that Chinese fishermen commonly call the species "Ghost Horsehead Fish" due to its unique cheek patterns.
In Princess Mononoke, created by renowned animator Hayao Miyazaki, San is a warrior raised by wolves who fights to protect her forest. Scientists hope the fish's name will highlight the film's core message about the delicate balance between humanity and nature.
"The name sanae refers to the heroine's name, San, in Hayao Miyazaki's film Princess Mononoke, who has similar red under-eye stripes to this species and symbolizes the ideas and appeals of harmonious coexistence between man and nature that we want to share," the researchers wrote in their study.
Tilefish, including this new species, inhabit deep waters—some as far as 600 meters below the surface—preferring sandy and muddy seabeds along continental and oceanic plates. Although tilefish are commonly sold in seafood markets across East and Southeast Asia, only three new species of Branchiostegus have been described since 1990.
"Among the tilefish species known to be distributed in the South China Sea, this species is the only one with vertical stripes on the body," the scientists noted.
The discovery underscores the value of modern technology in species identification. "In 2021, we noticed that some deepwater tilefish individuals had a unique cheek pattern in some online seafood markets. This unique pattern sets them apart from other deepwater tilefishes," researchers said.
