Life has been imitating art once again, it would seem, following the discovery of a new species of fish that researchers in China believe bears an uncanny resemblance to a leading character from Princess Mononoke, one of the most popular and culturally significant animated films from Studio Ghibli.

The discovery was made on an exploratory mission of some of Southeast Asia’s deeper waters, where – even at a depth of some 600 metres below the surface – scientists couldn’t help but notice this species’ most striking characteristic.

Branchiostegus sanae is a deepwater tilefish belonging to the family Branchiostegidae, and was so discovered and named when scientists noticed that the unique cheek pattern on some individuals, marked a striking resemblance to those borne by the Studio Ghibli character, San.

The research team used genetic analysis to confirm that these individuals were, indeed, a new species of the Branchiostegidae fish and were quick to give it its new name. But there’s a deeper narrative to the naming than a few simple facial markings, and one the researchers believe will tie the epithet ‘sanae’ to a stronger cultural thread, still.

The term Mononoke – referencing Princess Mononoke, the animated film from which the character San comes – refers to supernatural spirits in Japanese folklore. This, itself, aligns with the common name used by Chinese fishermen for this particular species of fish, which when translated into English is ‘Ghost Horsehead Fish’ – a nod to its unusual cheek patterns.

Lead author of the study – which has this week been published in the open access journal ZooKeys – Haochen Huang, said: “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.”

As their name suggests, deepwater tilefish are found at great depths, with some species found 600 metres below the surface. They are an important source of food and are commonly found in seafood markets in East and Southeast Asia.

The Branchiostegus sanae is the latest species to be discovered through the seafood market, following the discovery and description of Bathynomus vaderi, a new species of giant isopod found in the waters off Vietnam with a face resembling the helmet worn by the iconic baddie, Darth Vader from the Star Wars saga.

This too, is a species commercially fished by trawlers operating in various deep-waters around the South China Sea with a popularity among locals that has seen it become something of a delicacy at live seafood markets. 

Back with the deepwater tilefish, and the diversity of this group remains relatively low with only 31 species described in the family Branchiostegidae, and 19 species in the genus Branchiostegus. Remarkably, from 1994 to 2024, only three new species of Branchiostegus have been described.

This study was led by researchers from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Science, Zhejiang University, and Ocean University of China. It involved a combination of morphological analysis and genetic sequencing. 

Specimens were deposited in prestigious marine biological collections in China to help facilitate future research.

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