78. LAMPRIDID^ LAMPRIS. 453 
III, IG; Lat. 1. 75. L. 1 foot. Maine to Cape Hatteras; rather com- 
mon northward. 
{Cortjphxna pcrciformis Mitch. Amer. Month. Mag. ii, 1813, 244: PaJinurus pcrciformis 
DcKay, New York Fauna, Fish. 1842, 118: Paliniirichthijs perciformis Gill, Proc. Acad. 
Nat. Sci. Phila. 18G0: Pamnidas pcrcifonnin Gunther, ii, 485.) 
Family LXXVIII.— LAMPRIDIDyE. 
{The Opahs.) 
Body ovate, compressed, and elevated, covered with minute, very 
deciduous, cycloid scales. Head small, rather pointed. Month small, 
terminal, without teeth, its angle with slits in the skin to j)ermit the 
motion of the jaws, as in Orcynus. Premaxillaries protractile. Opercu- 
lar bones entire. Dorsal fin single, very long, elevated, and falcate in 
front, without distinct spines •, anal long and low, not at all falcate ; 
both fius depressible in a groove; ventral fins thoracic, but behind the 
pectorals, composed of 14 to 17 rays; pectoral fins large, falcate, their 
bases horizontal; caudal fin moderately forked, its i)eduucle short and 
slender, without keel. Lateral line present, much arched in front. 
Branchiostegals G. Gill-membranes free from the isthmus. CEsophagus 
not armed with spinous teeth. Air-bladder large, bifurcate behind. Py- 
loric appendages very numerous. Vertebrae 45. Fishes of large size 
and gorgeous coloration, inhabiting the open Atlantic. A single genus 
with one or two species. 
{Scomhridoe, genus Lampris, Gunther ii, 415, 416.) 
234.— liAIflPRIS Retzius. 
Opahs. 
(Retzius, Nya llantllnng, iii, 91, 1799 : type Zeus gnitatus Briinnich = Zeus luna Gmelin.) 
Characters of the genus included above. {Xa/x7tp6:;, radiant.) 
■S’ 114. Li. giatlatMS (Briinnich) Retz. — Opah; King-fish; Sun-fish. 
Color a rich brocade of silver and lilac, rosy on the belly; everywhere 
with round silvery spots; head, opercles and back with ultramarine tints, 
jaws and fins vermilion; flesh red. Longest dorsal ray shorter than 
pectorals, which are nearly as long as the head. Anal very low in 
front, a little higher behind. Head 3^; depth If. D. 54; A. 40; V. 
14-17. Vert. 23+22. L. 3-4 feet. {Lowe.) Atlantic, occasional off 
Newfoundland. One of the most gorgeously colored of fishes. 
{Zeus guitafus Briinnich, Danshe. Selsh. Skr. iii, 1788, 398: Zeus luna Gmelin, Syst. 
Nat. 1788, 1225: Lamprin luna Giiuther, ii, 416; Cuv. & Val. x, 39: Lampris lauta Lowe, 
Fish. Madeira, 27.) 
