Branchiostegus sanae, a newly described species of tilefish, has been named after Princess Mononoke’s San. Like plenty of other fish, B. sanae was ‘discovered’ by scientists in a seafood market. Though this has the distinction of being one of the few fish found online. The fish was given the epithet (species name) “sanae” due to the vertical red stripes on its face, which mimic the war paint San sports in Mononoke.
Branchiostegus sanae – What Is It?
A genus of the family Branchiostegidae, tilefishes inhabit the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. Tilefish are renowned for excavating burrows in oceanic sediment. Species in this genus can inhabit relatively shallow waters to depths of up to approximately 2000′ (600 meters) deep.
“Discovering” a species is a bit of a misnomer, as B. sanae, like many other species, has long been known before being scientifically described. Branchiostegus sanae has long been fished commercially to the extent that it already has a common name, “鬼马头鱼” (ghost horse-head fish). The irony in the supernatural common name predating a supernatural scientific name was not lost on researchers and publications.
Currently, the species is only scientifically known from 5 specimens collected between the Xi’sha and Hainan Islands in the South China Sea. A team composed of researchers from the South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Science, Ocean University of China, and Zhejiang University is credited with cataloging the new species through the use of genetic and morphological analysis.
In the past 34 years, only 3 new Branchiostegus species have been described, so a new one getting named after an anime girl is a big deal.
©Huang et al
Weebs and Science
This isn’t the first species named after anime characters; there’s a wide array (mostly bugs) named after them. Three species of beetles in the Binburrum genus are named after the Pokémon franchise’s Legendary Bird trio: Binburrum articuno, Binburrum moltres, and Binburrum zapdos.
The Evangelion franchise also boasts its own beetle, the Lycocerus evangelium. Branchiostegus sanae isn’t even the first creature named after a Ghibli character; they already had a worm, Eoperipatus totoro. Asteroid In Love’s Ao Manaka can boast an asteroid named after her. So it’s a relatively common occurrence.
In regards to B. sanae’s name, Haochen Huang is quoted saying, “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.”
What’s Princess Mononoke About?
The movie follows Prince Ashitaka’s search to find a cure that would rid him of the curse a demon boar afflicted him with. During his journey, he finds himself involved in a conflict between a mining town and forest gods, and there he meets San, a wolf-raised girl who acts as the protector of the forest. There, Prince Ashitaka attempts to reconcile the two opposing forces while battling the curse residing in him.
Source: ZooKeys Website
© 1997 Hayao Miyazaki/Studio Ghibli, ND
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