13 Facts You Didn't Know About Sunfish
Laura Storm/AlamyOne of the ocean's most bewildering fish — Mola mola — is a creature of extremes and mystery.
- Mola mola is actually the scientific name of the ocean sunfish. Along with three other family members, its closest relatives are the puffer and triggerfishes.
iStockphotoPufferfish are some of the closest relatives of the Mola mola.
The largest ocean sunfish weighed 2.5 tons — which is comparable to an SUV — and the fish is considered the heaviest of the world’s bony fishes.
A great white shark caught off Italy contained remains of a 6-foot-long mola. California sea lions and orcas are also known predators.
Despite lacking a tail, the ocean sunfish uses its modified dorsal and anal fins for powerful and agile propulsion.
Illustration By Emily S. DamstraSunfish use their dorsal and anal fins for propulsion.
The mola mola may sunbathe to regulate its body temp. After making deep dives in cold water, its time spent lazing at the surface is extended.
The mola mola lacks a swim bladder — a fish’s version of a buoyancy compensator — but it has a layer of subcutaneous jelly that keeps it neutrally buoyant in seawater.
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The ocean sunfish has just 16 vertebrae, the fewest of any fish. Humans, in comparison, have 33.
Bycatch is considered the gravest threat to the ocean sunfish. In a South African fishery, an estimated 340,000 mola were caught in a single year.
Richard Dirscherl/AlamyBycatch is one of the biggest threats facing sunfish.
- The ocean sunfish is prone to infestation by parasites, harboring some 54 species. It co-opts seabirds and other fishes, and sometimes even breaches to help rid itself of these pests.
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The fish is one of the most prolific of all vertebrates: one female can produce an estimated 300 million tiny eggs per clutch.
The ocean sunfish is classified as vulnerable to extinction, which is the same designation as polar bears, cheetahs and giant pandas.
iStockphotoLike polar bears, the ocean sunfish is classified as being vulnerable to extinction.
The ocean sunfish can make dives up to 1,600 feet deep, and one tagged individual traveled 1,100 miles in three months, equivalent to the distance from LA to Seattle.
Some scientists believe that the mola mola has a much more varied diet than simply gelatinous plankton, which has historically been the belief.
Follow Richard Smith’s underwater adventures at oceanrealmimages.com.
