Opah, or KING-FISH (Lampris luna), a fish of the family Coryphænidæ or 'Dolphins,' order Acanthopterygii. The body is compressed laterally and deep, and is covered with small deciduous scales. The cleft of the mouth is narrow, and there are no teeth. The dorsal fin is single and has no spinous portion; the pectoral and ventral fins are falciform and of nearly equal length. The tail is forked. The lateral line has a strong curve behind the head, and becomes straight about midway between the eye and the root of the tail. This fish is beautifully coloured; the back is bluish green; the sides violet, becoming red underneath; round or oval silvery spots are scattered all over the body; the fins and tail are deep scarlet. It is found only occasionally near shore. It prefers the deeper waters of the North Sea, being found of
Norway, the British Isles, Iceland, Newfoundland, and especially near the Azores and Madeira. It is rare in the Mediterranean, and has not been recorded off Greenland or east of the North Cape in Norway. Specimens have been caught measuring 6 feet in length; one of 4 feet 5 inches weighed 140 lb. The flesh is red or yellowish in colour, and is excellent to eat. Its food, so far as is known, consists of cuttle-fish and other cephalopods. Other names applied to it are Sun-fish (a name also applied to Orthogoriscus and to the basking shark), because it comes to the surface of the water in calm weather, Sea-pert, Carf, and Jerusalem Haddock.