96 Kershaw, Fish Fauna of Victoria. [v^'i^^xxx 



of Port Welshpool, and forwarded to the Melbourne Fish 

 Market. 



The specimen was rather badly damaged on one side, but 

 was otherwise in excellent condition. 



It proved to be a species known as the Opah, or '' King-fish," 

 Lampris lima, Gmel., a widely-distributed pelagic fish, which, 

 so far as I am aware, has not previously been recorded from 

 Australian waters. 



The Opah is remarkable both for the large size to which it 

 attains and its gorgeous colouration. Giinther states it is 

 " one of the most beautiful fishes in the Atlantic." Day 

 says : — " This fish is an exception to the general rule that 

 those which inhabit the tropical seas are most resplendent in 

 colours, as none can surpass the Opah." The flesh is said to 

 be rich and firm and of delicate flavour. 



This example measured 3 feet 4J inches in length to the tip 

 of the caudal fin, and 2 feet 2 inches in its greatest depth. Its 

 weight was given as 56 lbs. Specimens have, however, been 

 recorded measuring up to 4 and even 6 feet in length. 



The body is short, deep, and laterally compressed, and is 

 covered with very small deciduous scales. The snout is short, 

 and the mouth small and without teeth. The front of the 

 dorsal, and the pectoral and ventral fins, are falcate. The 

 lateral line is prominent, and is considerably arched above the 

 pectorals. 



D. (?) 46, V. 15, A. 37- . 



Colour. — ^The dorsal area is bluish-green, the sides violet, 

 becoming silvery, with golden reflections, on the lower parts 

 and towards the tail. The space in front of and below the 

 eye silvery. Conspicuous oval silvery spots are scattered 

 over the whole of the head and body, smallest along the dorsal 

 area, with faint indications of a few on the dorsal fin. Snout, 

 fins, and tail vermilion, with the extreme tips of all the fins 

 whitish, and a silvery fine along each ray of the caudal. 



The colour is said to be subject to variation. 



A number of examples of this fish have been taken on various 

 parts of the coasts of Great Britain. Others have been 

 recorded from the coast of Norway, the Mediterranean, and 

 from the Altantic and Pacific Oceans. Day, in his " British 

 Fishes," says : — " Among those captured in British waters we 

 find many recorded. Sibbald obtained one from the Firth of 

 Forth in 1664 ; Wallace from Sunda, in the Orkneys, in 1682 ; 

 . . . . and one nearly 6 feet in length was captured in 

 Sanday " (Orkneys). 



Mr. Smith informs me that he previously captured a similar 

 specimen of this fish near Oberon Bay, on the west coast of 

 Wilson's Promontory, in 20 fathoms, but, owing to rough 

 weather, was unable to save it. 



