Opah Loompa!

Check this thing out!

http://www.fishsniffer.com/cgi-bin/forumsyabb/YaBB.pl?num=1156189735

Never heard of or saw one of these before.

Super cool.  I think they feed on jellyfish which is why they are not caught too often.

I've seen a couple caught when I was in San Diego.

MolBasser

Not sure if its the exact same type of fish but last time I was in Ensenada they had a few of those (frozen) stacked up and ready to be sold at the fish market.

Cool looking fish.

Mol,

I think you are confusing the Opah with the Ocean Sunfish (mola mola).  The Opah are a rare catch, but people do catch them.  They are supposed to be really good eating.  Molas,  on the other hand, supposedly taste like an old boot.  The molas do feed on jellies.

-Allen

No, I know the difference.

I stand by my previous post. 

I've actaully touched a Mola Mola when I was out paddy hopping one day.

MolBasser

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opah

Squid and euphausiids make up the bulk of the opah diet; small fish are also taken. Pop-up archival transmitting (PAT) tagging operations have indicated that (aside from humans) large pelagic sharks, such as Great White Sharks and Mako Sharks, are primary predators of opah.

vs

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mola_mola

I know that Mola feed on jellyfish, but I was under the impression that Opah did too.

There is some debate in the science community, but regardless of diet, I was not mistaking the two fish for each other for what that is worth.

MolBasser

Interestingly, Molas are also known as sunfish and Opahs are also known as moonfish.

And while we're on Opah trivia...according to oldtime hawaiian fishermen, Opahs are also supposed to be good luck to the fisherman who catches them.

As for "there is some debate in the science community"... I'll have to remember that one next time I find that I mistakenly speak with confidence as a scientist and later find out that I was wrong.   (That actually happens more than I wish to admit)


Brian

Just to add confusion.  I've caught molas on live anchovies while out on the tuna grounds.  I also witnessed one hooked up on a megabait.  It proceeded to break off, then another angler hooked the same fish on an anchovy with the megabait still hanging from its mouth.  On another trip a HUGE mola  (I'm guessing 700# but who knows when they are that big) took an angler's bait and jumped completely out of the water breaking the line on the way down.  So they do eat small baitfish, I'm certain of that.  My highlight mola encounter was one day diving off Monestary when I got to float around with a 5 foot model for a few minutes.

Ive only seen an opah once.  It came slashing through a school of sauries that a school of albacore were working.  There are a few caught every year by the tuna guys.

-Allen

Yeah, Opah are supposed to be good luck.

If you catch one, you are supposed to give away the meat to other fisherman to increase your luck!

MolBasser

Opah are a rare catch and are usually caught by guys going for albacore.  They like to inhabit deeper waters than most people fish.  Once in awhile guys dropping iron jigs below albacore schools will pick them up.