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The ocean sunfish (Mola mola), also known as the common mola, is one of the largest bony fish in the world. It is the type species of the genus Mola, and one of five extant species in the family Molidae. [6] [7] It was once misidentified as the heaviest bony fish, which was actually a different and closely related species of sunfish, Mola ...
The mola is the heaviest of all the bony fish, with large specimens reaching 14 ft (4.3 m) vertically and 10 ft (3.0 m) horizontally, and weighing over 6,000 lb (2,700 kg). [3] Sharks and rays can be heavier, but they are cartilaginous fish. Mola are found in temperate and tropical oceans around the world.
The giant sunfish or bumphead sunfish (Mola alexandrini), [3] (also known as the Ramsay's sunfish, southern sunfish, southern ocean sunfish, short sunfish or bump-head sunfish in various parts of the world), [4] is a fish belonging to the family Molidae.
A giant species of fish that was first discovered seven years ago washed ashore in Oregon last week, according to marine biologists who study the animal.
The Molidae comprise the family of the molas or ocean sunfishes, unusual fish whose bodies come to an end just behind the dorsal and anal fins, giving them a "half-fish" appearance. They are also the largest of the ray-finned bony fish, with the southern sunfish , Mola alexandrini , recorded at 4.6 m (15 ft) in length [ 3 ] and 2,744 kg (6,049 ...
The record size ocean sunfish crashed into a boat off Bird Island, Australia in 1910 and measured 4.3 m (14 ft) from fin-to-fin, 3.1 m (10 ft) in length and weighed about 2,300 kg (5,100 lb), [1] while the other record for the biggest bony fish is yet held by a Mola alexandrini which was also coincidentally 2,300 kg (5,100 lb) in mass and 3 m ...
There are three extant species under the genus Mola: Mola mola, Mola alexandrini, and Mola tecta. [7] Mola mola is the most common known ocean sunfish and was found in 1758 and Mola alexandrini (also called Mola ramsayi) was found 81 years afterward, in 1839. [7] [1] In comparison to its two relatives, Mola tecta was found recently in 2014. [8]
The spines eventually diminish in size and disappear, leaving scars obvious on the sides of young fish up to 70 mm (2.8 in) long. Their coloration is dark brown on the back, becoming very light on the sides and belly. [13] [14] The lifespan for this species is estimated to be 85 years for males and 105 years for females. [4]