opah

[ oh-puh ]

noun

1. a large, deep-bodied, brilliantly colored, oceanic food fish, Lampris regius.

opah

/ ˈəʊpə /

noun

1. a large soft-finned deep-sea teleost fish, Lampris regius (or luna ), of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea, having a deep, brilliantly coloured body: family Lampridae Also calledmoonfishkingfish

Word History and Origins

Origin of opah¹

First recorded in 1740–50; < an unidentified West African source

Word History and Origins

Origin of opah¹

C18: of West African origin

Example Sentences

Gregg Bortz with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources says the department cannot currently confirm the catch or if it was the first time an opah had been caught in Maryland.

From Washington Times

A photographer got a lucky shot of an opah, or moonfish, off southern California in 2014, we reported in February.

From National Geographic

Scientists recently discovered that the opah, a deep-water predatory fish, keeps its blood warmer than the surrounding water.

From Washington Post

The opah lives in deep, cold water, but it generates heat from its massive pectoral muscles. And it conserves that warmth thanks to body fat and the special structure of blood vessels in its gills.

From Science Magazine

The opah doesn’t keep its body at a toasty 98 degrees Fahrenheit like we humans, but it was found to maintain its body temperature even when the water around it became colder suddenly.

From Forbes