Lampris guttatus
Opah
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
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Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Lampridiformes
Lamprididae (Opahs)
Lampris
Lampris guttatus (Opah)
Description
This species account was compiled from
Composite (multiple sources) (McEachran, J.D. and J.D. Fechhelm. Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico. University of Texas Press, Austin.)
and processed using AI-assisted text extraction.
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Characters
Compressed and deep bodied, with protrusible jaws; body depth of specimens greater than 50 cm SL is 58% to 68% of SL; gill rakers on first arch number 2 on epibranch and 14 on lower limb; pectoral fin has 22 to 25, dorsal fin has 49 to 58, pelvic fin has 13 to 17, and anal fin has 38 to 41 rays; pelvic fin inserts posterior to pectoral fin origin
Purple to pink, with opaque whitish spots over body; fins and anterior part of snout are red; small juveniles lack spots
Distribution
From the Grand Banks to the West Indies, including the Gulf of Mexico
Habitat Associations
Tropical to temperate oceanic waters at epipelagic to mesopelagic depths; captured to depths of 400 m
Biology
Food consists of squids and fishes, including some benthic species
Maximum known size is 180 cm SL and 100 kg
Oceanic and apparently solitary (Ref. 6737). Epi- and mesopelagic (Ref. 58302). Feeds on midwater fishes and invertebrates, mainly squids (Ref. 6737). Probably spawns in the spring (Ref. 6885). Occasionally taken as a by-catch of tuna fisheries. Considered a good food fish (Ref. 5242); marketed fresh and frozen; prepared as sashimi (Ref. 9987). Swims by flapping the pectoral fins (Ref. 36731).
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Least Concern (LC), assessed 2013-05-07. Resilience: Low (Assuming tm>4).
Phylogeny and Morphologically Similar Fishes
Distinguished from other species of the family by a combination of diagnostic characters
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish.
References
Palmer and Oelschlager 1976
Rosenblatt and Johnson 1976
Heemstra 1986a
Palmer 1986a
C. R. Robins et al. 1986
Boschung 1992
Breder, C.M. and D.E. Rosen (1966) Modes of reproduction in fishes. T.F.H. Publications, Neptune City, New Jersey. 941 p.
Bauchot, M.-L. (1987) Poissons osseux. p. 891-1421. In W. Fischer, M.L. Bauchot and M. Schneider (eds.) Fiches FAO d'identification pour les besoins de la pêche. (rev. 1). Méditerranée et mer Noire. Zone de pêche 37. Vol. II. Commission des Communautés Européennes and FAO, Rome.
Hart, J.L. (1973) Pacific fishes of Canada. Bull. Fish. Res. Board Can. 180:740 p.
Underkoffler, K.E., M.A. Luers, J.R. Hyde and M.T. Craig (2018) A taxonomic review of Lampris guttatus (Brünnich 1788) (Lampridiformes; Lampridae) with descriptions of three new species. Zootaxa 4413(3):551-565. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4413.3.9
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