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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 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 ...
Characteristics that distinguish Mola alexandrini from other species in genus Mola are clavus ossicles, a snout ossicle and a chin ossicle that develop further over time. [6] When eggs hatch, larva specimens range between 1.42 and 1.84 mm. [ 27 ] At 1.42 mm, they tend to display a globular shape.
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]
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 sharptail mola (Masturus lanceolatus) is a species of mola found circumglobally in tropical and temperate waters. It is similar in appearance to the ocean sunfish ( Mola mola ), but can be distinguished by the projection on its clavus (pseudo-tail).
Pages in category "Mola (fish)" The following 5 pages are in this category, out of 5 total. This list may not reflect recent changes. ...