Coreoleuciscus splendidus, also known as the swiri or Korean splendid dace, is a species of fish from the cyprinid family endemic to rivers of the Korean peninsula.[1][2][3] It was first scientifically described by Tamezo Mori in 1935, who noted in 1936 that it could be found spawning in Gyeongsangbuk-do's Uljin County; a 1939 study also found it in the Geum and Seomjin rivers. A South Korean survey of 4909 sites south of the Korean Demilitarized Zone conducted between April 1966 and November 1989 found it in 659 sites; it was not seen to appear in the Yeongsan, Sapgyo, or Anseong rivers.[4] It typically spawns between the beginning of May and the middle of June.[5]
| Korean splendid dace | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cypriniformes |
| Family: | Cyprinidae |
| Subfamily: | Gobioninae |
| Genus: | Coreoleuciscus |
| Species: | C. splendidus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Coreoleuciscus splendidus T. Mori, 1935
| |
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.[6] 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.[5] It is often used for decorative purposes; feeding it sources of carotenoids, specifically spirulina or paprika, has been observed to improve the colour definition of its skin and fins.[7]
In popular culture
editThe 1999 South Korean film 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 has had on it.[8][9]
References
edit- ^ Kasama, M.; Kobayashi, H. "ヤガタムギツクの染色体 (Karyotype of Coreoleuciscus splendidus)". 動物学雑誌 (Doubutsugaku zasshi). 91 (4): 592.
- ^ Park, G.M. (2005). "Phylogeography of the Korean splendid dace, Coreoleuciscus splendidus". 7th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference. Taipei: The Ichthyological Society of Taiwan.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Coreoleuciscus splendidus". FishBase. November 2014 version.
- ^ Choe, G.-C.; Choe, S.-S.; Hong, Y.-P. "한국산 담목어 (淡目漁), 쉬리 Coreoleuciscus splendidus 의 미세분포에 (微細分布) 관하여" [On the Microdistribution of Fresh-Water Fish, Coreoleuciscus splendidus from Korea]. 한국어류학회지. 2 (1): 63–76. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-04-29.
- ^ Annotationes Zoologicæ Japonenses. Nihon Dōbutsu Gakkai. 1983. p. 161.
- ^ Gim, S.-R.; Yi, C.-Y.; Yi, S.-M. (2006). "사료내 paprika 및 spirulina 첨가가 쉬리 표피 색택에 미치는 영향" [Effect of Dietary Supplementation of Paprika and Spirulina on Pigmentation of Swiri Coreoleuciscus splendidus]. 한국양식학회지 [Journal of the Korean Aquaculture Society]. 19 (4).
- ^ Kang, J.-G. (1999). Shiri (Motion picture). South Korea.
- ^ Kim, Y.N. "Korean Arts and Culture at the End of the Twentieth Century". In Oh, Kongdan (ed.). Korea Briefing: Challenges and Change at the Turn of the Century. M.E. Sharpe. p. 115. ISBN 0765606100.