New fish species named after Goku’s Dragon Ball Z Super Saiyan transformation

A new fish species has officially been named Vanderhorstia Supersaiyan, and yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like: a nod to Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation from Dragon Ball Z.

Goku going Super Saiyan during his fight with Frieza is one of the most famous moments in anime. Now, that golden aura has inspired the name of a real underwater creature.

The goby’s bright yellow fin stripes immediately reminded researchers of the series’ glowing power-up, pushing them to give it one of the most anime-inspired scientific names we’ve ever seen.

The species was detailed in Ichthyological Research after a single specimen was collected near Ishigaki-jima Island in Okinawa at around 210 meters deep. It’s a small fish, just 77 millimeters long, but its coloring is what makes it stand out.

It sports vivid yellow stripes along its second dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, faint yellow spots on its head, and a series of diamond-shaped blotches down its body. No other known Vanderhorstia species has this exact pattern, which makes it instantly recognizable.

Super Saiyan fish discovered in the ‘Twilight Zone’

Scientists say the “Twilight Zone” where it was found is still one of Japan’s least-explored marine regions. Even in low light, this goby shows unusually bold colors for a deep-water species, especially compared to its shallow-water relatives. The combination of depth, shape, and its unmistakable yellow markings convinced researchers it deserved the Super Saiyan name.

Toei

The team behind the discovery directly credits Dragon Ball as the inspiration, noting that the bright yellow fin pattern reminded them of the iconic transformation. It’s not often pop culture ends up in official species naming, but anime fans have run with it online.

And it’s not the only time scientists have dipped into fandoms for naming ideas. Earlier this year, a new “devil-horned” bee was named after Netflix’s Lucifer and, in 2024, researchers identified a new crab in the South China Sea and called it Gothus teemo, after the League of Legends champion.