Branchiostegus sanae, the Mononoke tilefish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish in the family Malacanthidae. It is currently only known from a single location in the South China Sea, off the southern coast of Hainan. It can be easily told apart from other members of its genus by the presence of white and red vertical stripes between the eye and the mouth, and faint vertical stripes along the body.] It is named after the character San from the Japanese animated film Princess Mononoke. In 2021, the original authors of the species noticed tilefish in online seafood markets with a distinctive red and white cheek stripe. In March 2023, they bought specimens of the fish and cross-referenced the original location they were fished from. The fish were described as the new species Branchiostegus sanae in January, 2025. Branchiostegus sanae is overall plum-colored, with the underside lighter than the upper side. It can be easily distinguished from other tilefish by the presence of white and red lateral stripes stretching between the outer bottom edge of the eye to the mouth, and the presence of approximately light 16 vertical stripes along the body. Its size ranges from 325-416 mm in length
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