Ocean sunfish
The ocean sunfish or common mola (Mola mola) is one of the largest bony fish in the world. It was misidentified as the heaviest bony fish, which was actually a different species, Mola alexandrini. Adults typically weigh between 247 and 1,000 kg (545 and 2,205 lb). The species belongs to the Mola genus, one of three in the Molidae family. It is native to tropical and temperate waters around the world. It resembles a fish head without a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their dorsal and ventral fins are extended.
| Ocean sunfish | |
|---|---|
| Nordsøen Oceanarium, Denmark | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Tetraodontiformes |
| Family: | Molidae |
| Genus: | Mola |
| Species: | M. mola |
| Binomial name | |
| Mola mola | |
| IUCN distribution of the Ocean sunfish
Extant (resident) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Orthragoriscus elegans Ranzani, 1839 | |
Adult sunfish are vulnerable to few natural predators, but sea lions, killer whales, and sharks will consume them. Sunfish are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, including Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. In the European Union, regulations ban the sale of fish and fishery products derived from the family Molidae. Sunfish are frequently caught in gillnets.
The sunfish is a member of the order Tetraodontiformes, which also includes pufferfish, porcupinefish, and filefish, it shares many traits common to members of this order. It is the type species of the genus.