In Chinese mythology, Heluo fish () and Zi fish () are fish with one head and ten bodies.
The ancient text Classic of Mountains and Seas explains (trans. Anne Birrell):
In the 1827 fantasy novel Flowers in the Mirror by Li Ruzhen, the protagonist Tang Ao encountered such a creature in a fishing net at the "Country of Black-bottomed People" and wondered whether it was the fragrant Zi fish. His brother-in-law Lin Zhiyang smelled it and retched, whereupon Duo JiugongâÂÂtheir companionâÂÂlaughed and suggested kicking it. When it barked like a dog, they all knew that it was a Heluo fish. Old Duo then explained the difference between the species: "One smells heavenly, and the other extremely foul."
In the 16th century, Yang Shen wrote in Encomiums on Strange Fish (, 1544) that, just like the Kun fish (which can transform itself into a bird), the Heluo fish can also change into a bird known as Xiujiu (), notorious for stealing husked rice and falling into mortars, dead. The Xiujiu bird often shrieked as it flew by at night and unlike the Heluo fish, it was scared of thunder and lightning.
features the Heluo Fish as a fightable Yaoguai found mainly in chapter 3, known as "Monk from the Sea". With one particular monk being fought as a boss in New Thunderclap Temple, beating it rewards the Destined One with the ability to transform into a Monk from the Sea. A Heluo Fish also appears as the "Hubris Nose" relic after beating Yellowbrow.