I discovered a total of three unrecorded marine fish species last year. To kick off 2026, I thought I'd share some brief stories about how I found each species.
Crimson Jobfish (Pristipomoides filamentosus). This is the first species in the Pristipomoides genus to be found in Korea in 73 years since the last one was reported in 1952. Currently, it's only being found in the waters near Jeju Island. Honestly, it’s been appearing very rarely around Jeju for 5–6 years, but this was the first time we managed to secure an actual specimen.
I actually first spotted this guy at the Moseulpo Fisheries Cooperative auction on May 14, 2025, but the individual in the photo had already been sold to a restaurant, so I couldn't get it. Not long after, another one was found at the Hallim Fisheries Cooperative on May 31, 2025. I successfully secured it, identified it, and presented it at the 2025 Spring Conference of the Ichthyological Society of Korea. The name 'Blue-spotted Head Crimson Jobfish' (Cheong-jeom-meori-ja-buk-dom) was chosen because its forehead is covered in blue spots, unlike other species in its genus.
Harry Hotlips (Plectorhinchus gibbosus). This is the first species in the Plectorhinchus genus found in Korea in 2 years since the Chusa Sweetlips was reported in 2023. So far, only one individual has been observed in the northern waters of Jeju. It’s a tropical fish usually found in warm waters south of Kagoshima Prefecture in Japan, so I remember being extremely caught off guard when it showed up in Jeju.
On September 29th, I was chatting with the owner of my regular fish stall at Dongmun Market when he mentioned he’d picked up a weird-looking sweetlips and told me to just take it as a gift. I was skeptical at first, but after checking it at home, I confirmed it was an unrecorded species in Korea based on the 14 dorsal fin spines and the lack of spots on the fins and back. Initially, names like 'Plain Sweetlips' or 'Dark Cloud Sweetlips' were candidates because of the lack of patterns, but 'Big-backed Sweetlips' (Keun-deung-eo-reum-dom) was ultimately chosen because of its high body depth compared to other sweetlips.
Arabian Barracuda (Sphyraena arabiansis). This is the first species in the Sphyraena genus reported in Korea in 73 years since the Small-eyed Barracuda in 1952. Currently, it has only been found in Yeosu (Jeonnam), Tongyeong (Gyeongnam), and Jeju. There are only three barracuda species found in Korea, and even those were small species growing to around 30cm, but this is the first report of a large species that grows up to 1m in our waters.
While I was taking a rare break on the mainland, I happened to see a strange-looking large fish waiting for auction on a YouTuber’s live stream of a set net haul. I immediately sprinted to the auction house and bought it for a measly 30,000 won. After freezing it, I sent it to the East Sea Fisheries Research Institute a few days later. I did get nagged for an hour for running out in the middle of the night, but since the result was good, I’m just letting it slide.
Three months later, a Japanese restaurant owner in Jeju contacted me saying he’d bought the same species I secured in Yeosu. These fish can contain Ciguatera, which causes severe diarrhea if eaten, but thanks to the owner’s clutch move of calling me beforehand, we narrowly avoided an accident. It’s similar to the Great Barracuda (S. barracuda), but the name 'Short-mouthed Big Barracuda' (Jjal-beun-ip-keun-kko-chi-gogi) was chosen because its supramaxilla (upper jaw bone) is short and doesn't reach past the eye.
A total of 21 marine fish species were newly recorded in 2025, and I’m excited to see what fish we’ll find in Korea in 2026. Actually, I already managed to secure another unrecorded species on January 1st, but I’ll save that story for after the 2026 Spring Conference of the Ichthyological Society of Korea. Happy New Year, everyone, even if I'm a bit late! :)
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