GEN. LAMPRTS. THE OPAH, OR KING-FISH. 219 



not accurately. Our Plate is taken from the highly 

 finished plates accompanying the current illus- 

 trated edition of the Regne Animal, publishing by 

 Crochard and Co. 



We are not aware that this fish is used as an 

 article of food. Eisso mentions that it spawns in 

 April, and confirms Lacepede's statement of its bad 

 odour, saying that it has little taste, and continually 

 exhales an unpleasant smell. 



Gen. XXXI. LAMPRIS, Has but one dorsal fin ; 

 and but one species is known. It is the 



(Sp. 24.) L. guttatus. The Opah or King-fish. 

 (PL XIV.) The body of the Opah is oval and 

 compressed, the sides of the tail keeled, the teeth 

 ^wanting ; the gill-rays seven. 



An eminent Naturalist has well remarked, that 

 it is truly singular that so large and beautiful a fish 

 as that now under review, and which is by no 

 means infrequent in our seas, should have been de- 

 scribed only recently; and still more, that the 

 different authors who have attempted a description 

 should have been so little acquainted with each 

 other's labours. This criticism, written in the year 

 1835, will henceforward, we trust, no longer apply. 

 As affording, however, a good illustration of the 

 error and confusion in which such subjects are apt 

 to be envolved, we shall here present a slight sketch 

 of what has been called " The History of the Natu- 

 ral History" of this fish. 



The habitat of the King-fish appears to be high 



