taxonID	type	description	language	source
314D703EFACE5DA79EBC6D66F1377C08.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis. The species can be distinguished from its congeners in having the following combination of characteristics: a unique white-red bar between the orbit and upper jaw; distal end of upper jaw vertical reaching or exceeding midpoint of orbit; yellow predorsal ridge with dark rim; dorsal fin membrane translucent greyish, with spines darker; dorsal fin spines grey and soft rays yellow; about 16 dark vertical stripes on each side; longest dorsal fin soft ray long, 20.6 – 22.7 % in SL; no black spots on base of scales; and caudal fin nearly truncated, upper part pale orange mixed with yellow stripes, and lower part dark grey with inconspicuous yellow blotch near base.	en	Huang, Haochen, Chen, Jingxuan, Ke, Zhixin, Zhang, Chi (2025): Branchiostegus sanae, a new species of deepwater tilefish (Eupercaria, Branchiostegidae) from the South China Sea. ZooKeys 1227: 129-142, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1227.130512
314D703EFACE5DA79EBC6D66F1377C08.taxon	description	Description. Morphometric measurements and counts are summarized in Table 2. Body moderately elongate and compressed. Body depth (BD) is almost equal to or slightly shorter than head depth. Predorsal ridge (stronger in large individuals) extending vertically near center of eye. Mouth terminal, oblique; distal end of upper jaw vertical reaching or exceeding midpoint of orbit. Head moderately enlarged; anterior profile straight. Eyes very close dorsolaterally to forehead contour. Orbit diameter large (25.3 – 34.9 % in HL), subequal to or longer than suborbital depth. Anterior nostrils tubular, with a cutaneous tongue-shaped flap on its posterior rim and located closer to the snout than anterior margin of orbit while posterior nostril oval-like without fleshy flap and located about mid-point between snout and anterior margin of the orbit. Both jaws with 3 or 4 rows of irregular canine-like teeth, with 17 – 20 of these canines enlarged and primarily distributed in central front and near sides. An irregular villiform teeth band on upper jaw. No teeth on palatine, vomer, or tongue. Posterior margin of preopercle serrated; a few serrations extend to ventral margin, rest of ventral margin smooth. Cheeks, opercle, nape, and body scaled. Scales on cheek, opercle and near breast cycloid and ctenoid remain parts; 6 or 7 diagonal scale rows on cheek; scales enlarged at second, third, and fourth rows; diameter of largest cheek scales 4.7 – 5.0 in orbit diameter (OD). Dorsal-fin origin above pectoral-fin base; first spine shortest, length 1.0 – 1.9 in OD; length of 2 nd to 7 th spines almost equal, longer than 1 st. First dorsal soft ray shortest, length 1.2 – 1.7 in OD, 13 th dorsal-fin soft ray longest 0.4 – 0.5 in OD, 15 th dorsal-fin soft ray shortest; lengths of soft rays length gradually increase from the 1 st to 13 th, rapid decreases in 13 th to 15 th soft rays; dorsal-fin soft rays longer than all spines and peduncle depth except 15 th soft ray, only 13 th soft ray reaching caudal-fin base. Pectoral fin lanceolate, its base located just posterior to preopercle margin, reaching to anal-fin origin; 1 st to 7 th soft rays lengthening; 7 th soft ray longest, 1.1 – 1.4 in head length (HL); 8 th soft ray discontinuously shortening, 1.6 – 1.8 in HL; under 8 th soft ray, pectoral-fin soft rays evenly shortening. Pelvic-fin triangular, short, extending to midpoint of its origin to anus; pelvic-fin spine 0.7 – 0.9 in OD; 2 nd soft ray longest, 0.6 – 0.7 in OD. Caudal peduncle depth 2.2 – 2.9 in BD, shorter than its length. Caudal fin almost truncate but slightly emarginate. When fresh, head and body are plum-colored, with ventral side lighter and dorsal aspect darker. Distinctive red vertical stripe present beneath eye, closely followed by a white band anteriorly. Snout Indian red; cheek region lighter colored. Upper part of operculum rosy brown. Plum vertical stripes taper from dorsal to ventral sides. Base of dorsal-fin spines bear gold spots, with spines and interstitial membranes dark grey. Soft rays of dorsal fin gold, yet their bases grey. Base of pectoral fins with slightly darker dark-red blotches covered by pectoral fins, and fin rays grey. Base of caudal fin paler orange, with upper 2 / 5 tinged with yellow and lower 3 / 5 dark grey. Pelvic and anal fins milky white, but distal ends of 12 th, 13 th, and 14 th anal-fin soft rays grey-black.	en	Huang, Haochen, Chen, Jingxuan, Ke, Zhixin, Zhang, Chi (2025): Branchiostegus sanae, a new species of deepwater tilefish (Eupercaria, Branchiostegidae) from the South China Sea. ZooKeys 1227: 129-142, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1227.130512
314D703EFACE5DA79EBC6D66F1377C08.taxon	distribution	Distribution and habitat. The fishing area was at approximately the coordinates 17.8 ° N, 110.5 ° E in the South China Sea, on the northern slope between Lingshui, Hainan Island and Xisha Islands, at a depth of about 150 – 300 m (Fig. 2).	en	Huang, Haochen, Chen, Jingxuan, Ke, Zhixin, Zhang, Chi (2025): Branchiostegus sanae, a new species of deepwater tilefish (Eupercaria, Branchiostegidae) from the South China Sea. ZooKeys 1227: 129-142, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1227.130512
314D703EFACE5DA79EBC6D66F1377C08.taxon	etymology	Etymology. 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 (Miyazaki 1997).	en	Huang, Haochen, Chen, Jingxuan, Ke, Zhixin, Zhang, Chi (2025): Branchiostegus sanae, a new species of deepwater tilefish (Eupercaria, Branchiostegidae) from the South China Sea. ZooKeys 1227: 129-142, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1227.130512
