Early Wednesday, officials at Seaside Aquarium were notified about a rare scene on the sands of the northern Oregon coast - An enormous, round, sparkling opah whose weight is 100 pounds had been stranded ashore.
Features of Opah Fish
This stranded fish was about 3 1/2-feet long - its large body has a mix of silvery and shiny reddish-orange scales, that have white spots dotted on it. Its large eyes have hints of gold. An assistant manager at the aquarium in the little beach community of Seaside, Tiffany Boothe, said the opah fish is the first she has sighted on area beaches.
Boothe said how the fish died isn't clear, but she noted that the opah fish was in good condition, indicating it was not far from the shore when it passed on.
The Seaside Aquarium made a Facebook post on the day of the recovery, saying the fish that looks unusual caused "quite the stir." Officials at the aquarium notified as many people as possible to come see the fish, and they permitted aquarium visitors to have a glimpse too, said Boothe.
Moonfish
A research biologist with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, Heidi Dewar, said that although strandings are not common, this case is even more so. Dewar said she wouldn't expect an opah fish such size to usually be off Oregon.
The changing climate may also contribute to this.
As per the aquarium, opah also referred to as moonfish, can grow over six feet long and over 600 pounds. NOAA says the fish are usually seen in tropical and temperate waters, namely: the Pacific Islands and the United States' West Coast, Southeast, New England and Mid-Atlantic regions.
As per the agency, a lot is yet to be known about the fish, both its average life span: "Not too many research on the basic biology and ecology of this fish has been carried out." Dewar revealed that biologists are still coming up with methods to identify how old the opah are.
The Fish with so Many Secrets
NOAA researchers in 2015 reported in a paper released in the journal Science that the opah is the only fully warm-blooded fish that is known. This deepwater predator possesses blood vessels in its gills, these blood vessels allows it to distribute warm blood all over its body.
Boothe said a lot isn't known about these beautiful fish, so anything learned will be beneficial.
The opah fish that washed up last week in Oregon will be kept frozen until some time this year, when the aquarium says students will have an opportunity to dissect the fish, with assistance from the Columbia River Maritime Museum.
Samples will be studied further following the dissection of the fish. So much can be learned from the fish, said Dewar.
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