OPAH. 175 



termed Tai ; and is esteemed as the peculiar emblem of 

 happiness, because it is sacred to Jebis or Neptune.* 

 The number of fin-rays are 



D. 2 + 52 : P. 28 : V. 1 + 9 : A. 1 + 25 : C. 30. 



The length of the body including the tail is to the depth 

 of the body without the fins as two to one ; the form of the 

 body oval ; the profile of the head, both above and below, 

 falling in with the outline of the body ; the mouth small, 

 without teeth ; tongue thick, with rough papillae pointing 

 backwards, and well calculated to assist in conveying food 

 towards the pharynx. The base of the dorsal fin is rather 

 longer than the depth of the body, the first eight or nine 

 rays elongated, the longest four times as long as the rays 

 of the posterior portion ; pectoral and ventral fins very long, 

 full one-third the whole length of the body and tail ; the 

 anal fin, which is preceded by a triangular scale pointing 

 backwards, equal in length to half the length of the base 

 of the dorsal; the tail in shape lunate. The ventral, 

 pectoral, and anterior part of the dorsal fins falciform ; 

 the lateral line forms an elevated arch over the pectoral fin, 

 its highest part being immediately under the longest ray of 

 the dorsal fin. 



The upper part of the back and sides are of a rich green, 

 reflecting both purple and gold in different lights, passing 

 into yellowish green below ; above and beneath the lateral 

 line are various round yellowish white spots, from which 

 the fish received the name of Luna ; the irides are scarlet ; all 

 the fins bright vermilion. 



The showy colours with which the Opah is ornamented 

 induced an observer to remark, that it looked like one of 

 Neptune's lords dressed for a court-day. 



* Koempfer. History of Japan, folio, vol. i. 



