cross-posted from: https://ani.social/post/9668172

Lead image for comparison:

From the article:

A deepwater fish new to science has been named after San, the warrior princess from Studio Ghibli's landmark animated film Princess Mononoke, due to its striking facial markings.

The new species, Branchiostegus sanae, was identified by Chinese researchers after they noticed its unique cheek stripes.

Inspired by its resemblance to San, they chose "sanae" for the specific name as a tribute.

Lead author of the study Haochen Huang said: "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."