Opah or Diana catch in GenSan City Complex by Jojie Alcantara
Taken early Christmas dawn in General Santos City, when fishermen caught this 74-kilo Moonfish, or Opah, a very expensive delicacy in countries like Hawaii. In the Philippines, it is called “Diana”. I was told by the fishermen that it was a lucky day for me because it’s not often (every 15 days or so only) that they have caught two “Dianas” in one day.
Opah or moonfish (Lampris regius) is one of the most colorful of the commercial fish species available in Hawaii. A silvery-grey upper body color shades to a rose red dotted with white spots toward the belly. Its fins are crimson, and its large eyes are encircled with gold. The moonfish’s large, round profile may be the origin of its name. Moonfish landed in Hawaii range from 60 to over 200 pounds in round weight. A pelagic wandering species, it is often found in the company of tunas and billfish.
In Hawaii, the Opah was viewed as a good luck fish by old-time longline fishermen, who would give it away as a gesture of goodwill rather than sell it.
This particular photo of mine won Grand Prize on BetterPhoto.com, January 2010 competition.
To view more about the tuna catch in GenSan City Fishport Complex, view my album here.
The Scene Stealer 
What a magnificent fish, and what a shame to kill it!
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It saddens me to see these sea creatures killed. If only sustainable practices are in place, I wouldn’t feel so bad, but we all know that neither we nor those in developed countries practice responsible / sustainable fishing. 😦
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Agree with you both. The huge fish is certainly very beautiful and vividly colored up close.
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Huge and beautiful fish… Nice one!
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Thank you very much. 🙂
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