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Picture in your mind the discovery of a new species.
What do you see? Researchers cutting through dense, untouched rainforests? Perhaps a submarine plunging into a deep-sea trench, illuminating a new world?
Well, it’s not always quite so dramatic. In fact, researchers in China discovered Branchiostegus sanae when they were scrolling through online seafood markets and noticed some deepwater tilefish with unique cheek patterns.
These red-and-white facial markings reminded the research team of the Studio Ghibli character San from Princess Mononoke, whom they chose to honour in their naming of the species.
Published in the open-access journal ZooKeys, Branchiostegus sanae is a deepwater tilefish belonging to the family Branchiostegidae. Researchers confirmed its new-species status using genetic analysis, and chose “sanae” as the specific epithet (that’s the part that differentiates species within a genus), in a nod to Hayao Miyazaki’s animated creation.
“Finding a new species in this group is a rare and fortunate event, especially one as distinctive as Branchiostegus sanae.
“In Princess Mononoke, San is a young woman raised by wolves after being abandoned by her human parents. She sees herself as a part of the forest and fights to protect it. The film delves into the complex relationship between humans and nature, promoting a message of harmonious coexistence between the two: something we hope to echo through this naming.”
Lead author, Haochen Huang.
The Chinese fishermen who sell the new-to-science species call it the“鬼马头鱼” (ghost horsehead fish), and this also contributed to the species name because, fittingly, “Mononoke” (もののけ) refers to supernatural spirits in Japanese folklore.
As their name suggests, deepwater tilefish are found at great depths, with some species found 600 m below the surface. They are important food fish, commonly found in seafood markets in East and Southeast Asia.
Branchiostegus sanae is far from the only new species discovered at a seafood market. Indeed, a new giant isopod was recently dicovered in the same way – and also recieved a pop-culture inspired name. Check it out below!
So far only 31 species are described in the family Branchiostegidae, and 19 species in the genus Branchiostegus. From 1990 to 2024, only three new species of Branchiostegus have been described.
The study, led by researchers from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Science, Zhejiang University and Ocean University of China, involved a combination of morphological analysis and genetic sequencing. Specimens were deposited in prestigious marine biological collections in China to facilitate future research.
Original study
Huang H, Chen J, Ke Z, Zhang C (2025) Branchiostegus sanae, a new species of deepwater tilefish (Eupercaria, Branchiostegidae) from the South China Sea. ZooKeys 1227: 129–142. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1227.130512
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