316 The N.Z. Journal of Science and Technology. [Jan. 
On the Occurrence of the Opah, or Moonfish, in New Zealand Waters, 
by Professor Benham, D.Sc., F.R.S., F.N.Z.Inst. 
The only record I can find of the occurrence of this rare pelagic fish in 
our waters is that by Hector* in 1884, who states that a specimen of 
Lampris luna Risso was washed ashore on the beach near the mouth of 
the River Manawatu. It measured 3 ft. 6 in. in length. 
It is true that Waite| states that he was informed by a resident of 
Chatham Island that a number of “ a large red fish ” had been cast up at 
Topenga Bay, on the north coast of that island, and Waite adds, “ From 
the description I had not the slightest doubt that he referred to the opah.” 
He does not state what other facts were given to enable him to come to 
this conclusion, for the general colour of the opah is blue, with scarlet fins, 
as is seen in the coloured figure in Cuvier’s Regne Animal. 
Gunther, in his Study of Fishes, writes (p. 454) that it is “ bluish on 
the back, with round silvery spots, which colour prevails on the lower 
parts.” 
The subject of the present note was obtained at Port Molyneux, on 
the southern coast of the South Island, and was forwarded to me by 
Mr. C. Arthur. When it arrived at the Museum the colours were as vivid 
as those given in the Regne Animal. 
Its measurements are as follows : Total length, tip of snout to end of 
tail-fin, 3 ft. 6 in. ; length of head, to hinder edge of operculum, lljin. ; 
length of caudal fin, 8J in. ; greatest height of body, just behind level of 
pectoral fin, 1 ft. 5 in. 
Gunther states, “It is a pelagic fish, not rare about Madeira, but ex¬ 
tending northwards in the Atlantic ; it seems rarer in the Mediterranean.” 
Its occurrence, therefore, in these southern latitudes seems worthy of note. 
Whether it has been recorded from the Australian waters I am unable to 
say, for 1 have not the time to look through all the records. 
The zoological name of the. fish is an excellent illustration of the 
vagaries of systematists and of the uncertainties of nomenclature. For 
many years it has been called Lampris luna, and it is under this title that 
it is referred to in the natural histories to which I have access. It is thus 
named in Gunther’s Catalogue of Fishes in the British Museum, 1860, as also 
in his Study of Fishes. The generic name was originated by Retzius in place 
of Scomber, in which it had been placed by earlier naturalists. The 
specific title luna was conferred upon it by Gmelin in 1788, presumably from 
the trivial name “ moonfish.” 
In the same year, however, it received two other specific names. 
Brunnich called it guttatus, which name Gill, accepts {Mem. Acad. Nat. Sei. 
Philadelphia, vol. 6), and under this it is listed by Hutton in the Index 
Faunae Novae Zealandiae. Bonnaterre in this year employed the name 
regius, and it is by this name that Waite refers to it in his “ Basic List of 
Fishes” ( Ree. Cant. Mus., vol. 1, p. 25, 1907), no doubt following Goode 
and Beane, who adopt this name in their Oceanic Ichthyology, 1895. 
But it now appears that a Norwegian, Bishop Gunnerus, had already 
bestowed the name pelagicus upon the fish twenty years before the date 
of the usually accepted names—that is, in 1768. 
Gunther in his catalogue gives all these specific names, and also some 
others, and their authors, but unfortunately omits the dates of their 
* J. Hector, Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 16, p. 322, 1884. 
t E. R. Waite, Records Canterbury Museum, vol. 1, p. 53, 1907. 
