Ocean sunfish

Ocean sunfish Temporal range: Middle Holocene–present (5,941–0 YBP)
Conservation status
Vulnerable  (IUCN 3.1)
Secure  (NatureServe)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Tetraodontiformes
Family:	Molidae
Genus:	Mola
Species:	M. mola
Binomial name
Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758)
IUCN distribution of the ocean sunfish   Extant (resident)
Synonyms
List Tetraodon mola Linnaeus, 1758 Mola aculeata Kölreuter, 1766 Diodon mola Pallas, 1770 Diodon nummularis Walbaum, 1792 Mola rotunda Georges Cuvier, 1797 Orthragoriscus fasciatus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 Orthragoriscus hispidus Bloch & Schneider, 1801 Cephalus brevis Shaw, 1804 Cephalus pallasianus Shaw, 1804

The ocean sunfish (Mola mola), also called the mola or sun fish, is a large ocean fish found in warm and temperate oceans. It is the heaviest known bony fish in the world.

It has an almost circular, flattened body. This unusual fish swims by flapping its long pectoral and dorsal fins; the caudal fin is used as a rudder (for steering).

Some sunfish have been seen floating on their sides at the top of the sea; they may be using the sun to heat themselves up. They eat crustaceans, starfish, jellyfish, sponges, mollusks, algae, plankton, squid, and small fish. The species is native to tropical and temperate waters around the globe. It resembles a fish head with a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally.

Description

Appearance

The ocean sunfish has an unusual appearance. It does not have a caudal fin and has a pseudotail; the clavus. The body is round and oval-shaped. The dorsal fin and anal fin are extended, making the fish appear big. The dorsal and anal fin are used as the rudder. The fish lacks a swim bladder.

Skin

A sunfish's skin can vary from silver to white. The fish also gains the ability to vary skin color from dark to light, especially when attacked.

Range and behavior

Range

Ocean sunfish are found in temperate and tropical waters of all oceans.

Behavior

Sunfish can sometimes be found in a group, but usually alone. They sometimes bask sideways.

Related pages

• List of fish common names

Sunfish basking

References

1. Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2016). "Mola mola" Archived 2024-07-28 at the Wayback Machine in FishBase.
2. "The Ocean Sunfish, a Giant from the Depths".

Other websites

• Ocean sunfish on Wikidata