The opah is one of the oddest fish you could meet. Our sources do not record it off the Sussex coast. British boat record: confirmed.
Download the opah fish guide (PDF)2 pages, A4, 113 KB: the facts on this page, the picture and how to fish with us. Free to print.
About the opah
The opah is one of the oddest fish you could meet. It is deep and almost round, silvery blue with white spots, bright red fins and big eyes ringed in yellow. Some people call it the moonfish. It lives in the open ocean, usually several hundred metres down. British Sea Fishing gives its size as up to about 6 ft and 600 lb, while Wikipedia gives 2 m and 86 kg as a typical maximum. Either way, it is a big fish. In British waters it is very sparse, with more sightings to the south-west of England and Ireland, and it is not a fish to expect on a boat trip. Commercially it turns up as bycatch on tuna longlines and in pelagic trawls. Rod catches are very rare. The British boat-caught record is 128 lb, from Mounts Bay, Penzance, in 1973, and there is no shore record. Our record notes no Sussex catches.
On the boat
The opah is very rare in rod catches. It is mostly known as bycatch on tuna longlines and in pelagic trawls, not something anglers set out to catch. It lives mid-water in the open ocean, usually several hundred metres down. The record gives no months for Britain, so no season can be given. Sightings are more common to the south-west of England and Ireland. There are no Sussex catches noted in the record.
British boat-caught record
Confirmed record
- Weight
- 128 lb (58.057 kg)
- Where
- Mounts Bay, Penzance
- When
- 1973
- Angler
- A R Blewett
Confirmed British boat-caught record: A R Blewett, 128 lb (58.057 kg), Mounts Bay, Penzance, 1973. The official list gives the year only. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer claims are by length only. There is no shore record for this species.
How we label records: the British boat-caught records table explains confirmed, claimed and none listed.
Care and rules
No UK minimum size is listed for the opah, and it is very rare in Britain. The sources give no protection or eating advice beyond that. Rules change: check the current rules before you fish.
Did you know?
Wikipedia gives 2 m and 86 kg as the typical maximum for an opah, but British Sea Fishing says it can reach about 6 ft and 600 lb. The British boat record, caught in 1973, is 128 lb.
Questions about the opah
What is the British boat-caught record for opah?
Confirmed British boat-caught record: A R Blewett, 128 lb (58.057 kg), Mounts Bay, Penzance, 1973. The official list gives the year only. The official weight-based boat records were frozen in June 2024, and newer claims are by length only. There is no shore record for this species.
Is opah caught off the Sussex coast?
Not according to the sources behind this guide.
When is the best time to catch opah?
Our sources do not give months for the opah, for Sussex or for the rest of Britain.
How big does an opah get?
Up to about 6 ft and 600 lb (British Sea Fishing); Wikipedia says 2 m and 86 kg is typical maximum.
Sources
- British Sea Fishing: opah: britishseafishing.co.uk
- Wikipedia: opah: en.wikipedia.org
- BRFC sea fish records, June 2026: anglingtrust.net
Picture: Ralph Pace (NOAA Fisheries), file page on Wikimedia Commons. Every picture in the guide is listed on the picture credits page.
