''Coreoleuciscus splendidus'', also known as the swiri or Korean splendid dace, is a species of fish from the cyprinid family endemic to

rivers A river is a natural flowing watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, sea, lake or another river. In some cases, a river flows into the ground and becomes dry at the end of its course without reaching another body of wate ...

of the Korean peninsula. 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 conducted between April 1966 and November 1989 of 4909 sites south of the Korean Demilitarized Zone found it in 659 sites; it was not seen to appear in the

Yeongsan Yeongsan-myeon (also known as Yongsan) is a Myeon (administrative division), myeon of Changnyeong County, South Gyeongsang Province, in South Korea. At Yeongsan the Battle of Yongsan was an engagement in the Korean War. It was part of the Battle ...

Sapgyo Sapgyo-eup () is a small city located within Yesan county in South Chungcheong Province, South Korea. It is about northwest of Daejeon. History Original meaning of "Sapgyo" () is "New Town" (). "Sa" () means "New" in ancient Korean. Sapgyo was of ...

, or Anseong 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 (), also called tetraterpenoids, are yellow, orange, and red organic compound, organic pigments that are produced by plants and algae, as well as several bacteria, and Fungus, fungi. Carotenoids give the characteristic color to pumpki ...

s, specifically spirulina or

paprika Paprika ( US , ; UK , ) is a spice made from dried and ground red peppers. It is traditionally made from ''Capsicum annuum'' varietals in the Longum group, which also includes chili peppers, but the peppers used for paprika tend to be milder an ...

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

In popular culture

The 1999

South Korean film The cinema of South Korea refers to the film industry of South Korea from 1945 to present. South Korean films have been heavily influenced by such events and forces as the Japanese occupation of Korea, the Korean War, government censorship, the ...

'' 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.

References

Fish of Korea Fish of East Asia Taxa named by Tamezo Mori Fish described in 1935 Coreoleuciscus {{Cyprinidae-stub