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Source:
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
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Branchiostegus sanae is a deep-water brickfish; it was caught in the South China Sea, on the northern slope between Lingshui on Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands
(Paracel Islands), at a depth of about 150–300 meters.
Brief description:
When fresh, the head and body are plum-colored, with the belly lighter and the back darker.
Below the eye is a distinctive red longitudinal stripe, immediately followed by a white band in the front section.
The snout is Indian red, and the cheek area is lighter in color.
The upper part of the gill cover is pinkish-brown.
The plum-colored longitudinal stripes taper from the back toward the belly.
The base of the dorsal fin rays has golden spots, while the rays and interray membranes are dark gray.
The soft rays of the dorsal fin are golden, but their bases are gray.
The base of the pectoral fins has slightly darker dark-red spots that are covered by the pectoral fins, and the fin rays are gray.
The base of the caudal fin is a paler orange, with the upper 2/5 yellowish and the lower 3/5 dark gray.
The pelvic and anal fins are milky white, but the distal ends of the 12th, 13th, and 14th soft rays of the anal fin are grayish-black.
Etymology:
The species name “sanae” refers to the heroine San from Hayao Miyazaki’s film Princess Mononoke, who has red stripes under her eyes similar to those of this species and symbolizes the ideas and appeal of a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature—a message we wish to convey ().
Note:
Both the Chinese and English common names of this species are derived from the film’s title and correspond to the common name used by Chinese fishermen, “鬼马头鱼” (ghost horsehead fish), which refers to the unusual patterns on the cheeks of this species.
Source:
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
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Branchiostegus sanae is a deep-water brickfish; it was caught in the South China Sea, on the northern slope between Lingshui on Hainan Island and the Xisha Islands
(Paracel Islands), at a depth of about 150–300 meters.
Brief description:
When fresh, the head and body are plum-colored, with the belly lighter and the back darker.
Below the eye is a distinctive red longitudinal stripe, immediately followed by a white band in the front section.
The snout is Indian red, and the cheek area is lighter in color.
The upper part of the gill cover is pinkish-brown.
The plum-colored longitudinal stripes taper from the back toward the belly.
The base of the dorsal fin rays has golden spots, while the rays and interray membranes are dark gray.
The soft rays of the dorsal fin are golden, but their bases are gray.
The base of the pectoral fins has slightly darker dark-red spots that are covered by the pectoral fins, and the fin rays are gray.
The base of the caudal fin is a paler orange, with the upper 2/5 yellowish and the lower 3/5 dark gray.
The pelvic and anal fins are milky white, but the distal ends of the 12th, 13th, and 14th soft rays of the anal fin are grayish-black.
Etymology:
The species name “sanae” refers to the heroine San from Hayao Miyazaki’s film Princess Mononoke, who has red stripes under her eyes similar to those of this species and symbolizes the ideas and appeal of a harmonious coexistence between humans and nature—a message we wish to convey ().
Note:
Both the Chinese and English common names of this species are derived from the film’s title and correspond to the common name used by Chinese fishermen, “鬼马头鱼” (ghost horsehead fish), which refers to the unusual patterns on the cheeks of this species.
Source:
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
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
