Fish possibly caught right after its best friend Krilin was killed.

I always imagine one of the most fun things about discovering something new is being able to name it whatever you want. I could be wrong, though. For the people who put all that time and effort into discovering new things, maybe the last thing on their minds is what they’d call it when they finally do find something.

But sometimes the right name for a plant or animal just seems to jump right out at you, as it did for a research team which included Professor Keita Koeda of the University of the Ryukyus in Okinawa Prefecture. While searching a depth of the ocean known as the “twilight zone” because only a faint amount of sunlight can reach it, University of the Ryukyus graduate Hiroshi Hirasaka managed to catch a completely new species of goby.

Gobies can be found in waters all over the world, and tend to be known for their relatively unattractive appearances. They’re usually brown, grey, or greenish in color and have pudgy faces with large mouths. What sets this new one apart are the uncharacteristically vibrant yellow streaks along its fins and face. It’s hard not to look at it and think that goby’s gone Super Saiyan.

It’s certainly what the team thought and gave the fish the official scientific name of Vanderhorstia supersaiyan. They’re stopping short there with the manga and anime references and are proposing “electric goby” (“erekihaze“) as a common name, which also references its shockingly yellow look. In addition to its unique appearance, this goby was found at a depth of 210 meters (689 feet), almost twice as deep as any other known goby species.

Many online were also delighted by the admittedly cute-looking new fish, while some also wondered if it tastes good.

“Because they used the English [super Saiyan] rather than [the Japanese] super Saiyajin, I thought it was caught in another country.”
“I am the fish who came from the sea to defeat you. A legendary fish with a gentle heart awakened by rage… I am supersaiyan!”
“If they find a red one, they have to name it supersaiyangod, and a blue one is supersaiyangodsupersaiyan.”
“To discover such a cute fish in the 21st century. The world really is full of treasures.”
“Its power level looks high.”
“Looks like it would be delicious deep-fried and seasoned with some salt.”
“It kind of looks like a Pokémon.”

This research was carried out in an effort to explore the creatures that inhabit the seas around Okinawa. Since trawl fishing is not permitted there, the area is largely underexamined, and new species have been discovered one after another in recent years. Hopefully, they don’t run out of names for them all and end up calling them Fishy McFishface or something dumb like that.

Source: University of the Ryukyus, Hachima Kiko, Twitter/@hirahiroro
Images: University of the Ryukyus
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