A specimen of a rare monacanthid, Thamnaconus fijiensis, was recently caught off Northern Taiwan, representing the first record from the country. T. fijiensis can be distinguished from its congeners by the following combination of characters: small, dark-brown spots on the cheek; five longitudinal arrays of spots on the body; a blackish blotch surrounding the anus; and two semi-circular dark bands on the caudal fin.