Mola Mola

The Famous "Ocean Sun Fish" (Mola Mola)

This particular fish was about 2.5 metres high in size. ENORMOUS.

We were very lucky to see this fish. They normally live in deepwater.

The Ocean sunfish, Mola mola, or common mola, is the heaviest known bony fish in the world. It has an average adult weight of 1,000 kg (2,200 lb). 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. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their dorsal and ventral fins are extended. Specimens up to 3.2 m (10.5 ft) in height have been recorded.

Sunfish live on a diet that consists mainly of jellyfish, but because this diet is nutritionally poor, they consume large amounts in order to develop and maintain their great bulk. Females of the species can produce more eggs than any other known vertebrate. Sunfish fry (‘fry’ are baby fish for the uninitiated) resemble miniature pufferfish, with large pectoral fins, a tail fin and body spines uncharacteristic of adult sunfish.

Adult sunfish are vulnerable to few natural predators, but sea lions, orcas and sharks will consume them. A member of the order Tetraodontiformes, which also includes pufferfish, porcupinefish and filefish.