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Opalios (meaning "opal") is an extinct genus of monotreme mammal from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Griman Creek Formation of Australia. The genus contains a Monotypic taxon, O. splendens, known from a fragmentary left dentary.
In 2024, Flannery et al. described Opalios splendens as a new genus and species of early monotreme based on these fossil remains. They erected the new monotypic family Opalionidae within the Ornithorhynchoidea—the superfamily also containing modern and platypus—to house Opalios due to its similarity to both of these extant lineages. The Genus, Opalios, is a Greek language word meaning "opal", referencing the holotype's opalized nature. The specific name, , is a Latin word meaning "shining" or " distinguished", in reference to the holotype's striking translucency and size.
Opalios was nicknamed "echidnapus" (a Blend word of "echidna" and "platypus") in the press following its description due to the specimen's similarities to both Neontology monotreme lineages.
Several other monotremes are known from the Griman Creek Formation, including Dharragarra and Parvopalus—which were described in the same publication as Opalios—as well as Kollikodon, Steropodon, and Stirtodon.
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