Opah, Lampris guttatus Click to enlarge image
An 87 cm long Southern Spotted Opah in the Australian Museum Fish Collection (AMS I.24492-001). It was collected on a tuna long line off Ulladulla, New South Wales in March 1984. The upper lobe of its caudal (tail) fin is missing. Image: Ken Graham
© DPI Fisheries

Fast Facts

  • Classification
    Genus
    Lampris
    Species
    australensis
    Family
    Lampridae
    Order
    Lampridiformes
    Class
    Actinopterygii
    Subphylum
    Vertebrata
    Phylum
    Chordata
    Kingdom
    Animalia
  • Size Range
    Opahs grow to over 1.5 m in length and can weigh over 70 kg.

Introduction

The Southern Spotted Opah is a distictively shaped fish that lives in southern hemisphere waters.



Identification

The Opah is a deep-bodied, compressed fish. It is deep blue on the back grading to a lighter blue or silver on the belly. The body is covered with roughly circlar white spots (about the size of the pupil) and the fins are a vibrant red.

Distribution

The species has a southern hemisphere distribution.

Feeding and diet

Dietary items include fishes and squids.

References

  1. Underkoffler, K. et al, 2018. A taxonomic review of Lampris guttatus (BrĂ¼nnich 1788) (Lampridiformes; Lampridae) with descriptions of three new species Zootaxa 4413 (3): 551-565.