Opah (Lampris guttatus)

Scientific name: Lampris guttatus Br?nnich, 1788

The Opah (Lampris guttatus) is a marine fish of the family Lampridae.

Biology

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 48-55; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 33 - 41; Vertebrae: 43. Caudal fin broadly lunate; pectorals long and falcate; pelvic fins similar to pectoral fins in shape and a little longer. Dark steely blue dorsally shading into green with silver and purple iridescence, belly rosy, body covered with silvery spots in irregular rows, light mottling on caudal and dorsal fins; vermillion on fins and jaws, golden around eyes.

Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Species facts

Scientific name: Lampris guttatus
Family: Lampridae (Opah)
Order: Lampriformes (Velifers, Tube-eyes and Ribbonfishes)
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Maximum length: 200
Common length: 120
Depth range: 100–400 m (328–1312 ft)
Environment: Marine; bathypelagic; oceanodromous; depth range 100 - 400 m, usually ? - 366 m
Climate: Deep-water
Distribution: Worldwide in tropical to temperate waters. Western Atlantic: Grand Banks and Nova Scotia (Canada) to Florida (USA), Gulf of Mexico and the West Indies up to Argentina. Eastern Atlantic: Norway and Greenland to Senegal and south of Angola also Mediterranean. Eastern Pacific: Gulf of Alaska to south of southern California. A single capture in South Georgia marks an incidental occurrence in Southern Ocean.
Conservation status (IUCN): Not Evaluated
Threat to humans: Harmless
Uses: Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish: yes
Resilience: Low, minimum population doubling time 4.5 - 14 years (Assuming tm>4)

Sources

Taxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0.

Last updated 27 September 2026