“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,” they write in the study.
Coincidentally, the anime character’s name “Mononoke”, referring to supernatural spirits, aligns with the common name of the sea creature – Ghost Horsehead Fish – used by Chinese fishermen as a nod to its special cheek patterns.
Strange deep-sea creature discovered after it is listed on online fish market Fish named after protagonist of Studio Ghibli anime Princess Mononoke.
The fish has been named Branchiostegus sanae because its red facial stripes resemble those of the female protagonist San in the Studio Ghibli anime Princess Mononoke.
“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,” scientists say.
