78. LAMPRIDID^ LAMPRIS. 453 



III, IG; Lat. 1. 75. L. 1 foot. Maine to Cape Hatteras; rather com- 

 mou northward. 



{Gor!)phw,na pcrciformis Mitch. Amer. Month. Mag. ii, 1818, 244: Palinurus pcrdformia 

 DoKay, New York Fauna, Fish. 1842, 118: Palinurichthys percifonnis Gill, Proc. Acad. 

 Nat. Sci. Phila. 1860: Pammclas 2>c)-cifonniii Giinther, 11, 485.) 



Family LXXVIII.— LAMPRIDID^. 



{The Opahs.) 



Body ovate, compressed, and elevated, covered with minute, very- 

 deciduous, cycloid scales. Head small, rather pointed. Mouth small, 

 terminal, without teeth, its angle with slits in the skin to permit 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 fins 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 peduncle short and 

 slender, without keel. Lateral line present, much arched in front. 

 Branchiostegals 6. Gill-membranes free from the isthmus. CBsoiihagus 

 not armed with spinous teeth. Air-bladder large, bifurcate behind. Py- 

 loric appendages very numerous. Yertebrse 45. Fishes of large size 

 and gorgeous coloration, inhabiting the open Atlantic. A single genus 

 with one or two sjiecies. 



{Scomhridcc, genus Lampris, Giinther ii, 415, 416.) 



234,— ILAMPRIS Retzius. 



Opalis. 



(Retzius, Nya Ilandlung, Hi, 91, 1799 : typo Zeus (juitatu8 Briinnich = Zeus luna Gmelin.) 



Characters of the genus included above. {?.a/i-p6:;, radiant.) 



714. li. geittatUS (Briinnich) Retz. — Opali; 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 guitatus Briinnich, Danske. Sclsk. Skr. ill, 1788, 398: Zeus /una Gmelin, Syst. 

 Nat. 1788, 1225: Lamprin luna Giinther, ii, 416; Cuv. & Val. x, 39: Lampris lauta Lowe, 

 Fish. Madeira, 27.) 



