''Coreoleuciscus splendidus'', also known as the swiri or Korean splendid dace, is a

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...

from the

cyprinid Cyprinidae is a Family (biology), family of freshwater fish commonly called the carp or minnow family, including the carps, the true minnows, and their relatives the barb (fish), barbs and barbel (fish), barbels, among others. Cyprinidae is the ...

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

rivers A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it ru ...

of the

Korean peninsula Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically divided at or near the 38th parallel between North Korea (Dem ...

. It was first scientifically described by

Tamezo Mori , (1884–1962) was a Japanese naturalist in Chōsen (1910–1945). He taught at a preparatory school for Keijō Imperial University in Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest cit ...

in 1935, who noted in 1936 that it could be found

spawning Spawn is the Egg cell, eggs and Spermatozoa, sperm released or deposited into water by aquatic animals. As a verb, ''to spawn'' refers to the process of freely releasing eggs and sperm into a body of water (fresh or marine); the physical act is ...

North Gyeongsang Province North Gyeongsang Province (, ) is a province in eastern South Korea, and with an area of , it is the largest province in the Korean peninsula. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Gyeongsang province, and remaine ...

Uljin County Uljin County (''Uljin-gun''; Korean language, Korean: 울진군) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. Before 1963, Uljin was in Gangwon Province (South Korea), Gangwon Province. It borders ...

; a 1939 study also found it in the

Geum ''Geum'' , (Latinized Greek for "taste" referencing the roots of the plant) commonly called avens, is a genus of about 50 species of rhizomatous perennial herbaceous plants in the rose family and its subfamily Rosoideae which are widely distrib ...

and Seomjin rivers. A South Korean survey of 4909 sites south of the

Korean Demilitarized Zone The Korean Demilitarized Zone () is a heavily militarized strip of land running across the Korea, Korean Peninsula near the 38th parallel north. The demilitarized zone (DMZ) is a border barrier that divides the peninsula roughly in half. It wa ...

conducted between April 1966 and November 1989 found it in 659 sites; it was not seen to appear in the Yeongsan, Sapgyo, or

Anseong Anseong (; ) is a city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, south of Seoul. Anseong promotes itself as "The City of Masters". It is known for producing brassware and arts and crafts. From late spring to fall, Anseong holds its own Namsadang Neuri ...

rivers. It typically spawns between the beginning of May and the middle of June. Has photos. ''Coreoleuciscus splendidus'' grows to roughly 10 to 15 cm in length, with a long, slender body and a pointed snout; its eyes are small and horseshoe-shaped. Its head is greyish-brown in colour, while its back is darker and its stomach is lighter, often approaching white in hue; it also has a light stripe running along the length of its body on each side. The stripe is typically yellow, though specimens with orange stripes can also be found and are considered to be more attractive. It is often used for decorative purposes; feeding it sources of

carotenoid Carotenoids () are yellow, orange, and red organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, archaea, and fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpkins, carrots, parsnips, corn, tomatoes, cana ...

s, specifically spirulina or

paprika Paprika is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers, traditionally ''capsicum annuum''. It can have varying levels of Pungency, heat, but the peppers used for hot paprika tend to be milder and have thinner flesh than those used to produce ...

, has been observed to improve the colour definition of its skin and fins.

In popular culture

The 1999

South Korean film South Korean films have been heavily influenced by such events and forces as the Korea under Japanese rule, the Korean War, government censorship, the business sector, globalization, and the democratization of South Korea.. The golden age of ...

'' Shiri'' was named after ''C. splendidus''; the fish appears prominently in tanks in the offices of the main characters, and one of the film's primary antagonists has a monologue which discusses the fish and the effect that the

division of Korea The division of Korea began at the end of World War II on 2 September 1945, with the establishment of a Soviet occupation zone and a US occupation zone. These zones developed into separate governments, named the Democratic People's Republic of ...

has had on it.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coreoleuciscus splendidus Fish of Korea Fish of East Asia Taxa named by Tamezo Mori Fish described in 1935 Coreoleuciscus