Word of the Day
OPAH (OH-puh)
A large, oval-shaped, vividly colored marine fish
Common clues: Moonfish; Brilliantly colored food fish; Bright colored fish; Colorful fish
Crossword puzzle frequency: 2 times a year
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Opah (also known colloquially as moonfish, sunfish, kingfish, redfin ocean pan, and Jerusalem haddock) are large, colorful, deep-bodied pelagic Lampriform fish comprising the small family Lampridae (also spelled Lamprididae). There are only two known species in a single genus: Lampris (from the Greek lamprid-, "brilliant" or "clear"). One species is found in tropical to temperate waters of most oceans, while the other is limited to a circumglobal distribution in the Southern Ocean, with the 34th parallel as its northern limit.
Though rarely caught, opah are prized trophies for deep-water anglers as their large size and attractive form lend themselves well to taxidermy. Occasional bycatch from the longline tuna industry is also marketed and prepared as sashimi, as well as being broiled and smoked; opah flesh (despite being stringy and hard to fillet) has a moderate flavor and is well appreciated in this regard, especially in Hawaii. Opah are garnering increasing interest from restaurateurs as other staple species become unavailable. An average of 35 percent of an opah's weight is utilized for consumption.
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Opah".
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