| Ocean Sunfish | ||||||||||||||
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| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial nomenclature | ||||||||||||||
| Mola mola |
The ocean sunfish Mola mola is a bizarre pelagic fish, the largest bony fish in the world, with specimens having been sighted up to 11-feet-long and one estimated as weighing in at 3000 pounds. They are commonly mistaken for sharks, as they often swim close to the surface and have a dorsal fin that sticks up out of the water and appears similar. However, ocean sunfish feed on zooplankton (along with small fishes and other marine life), and are commonly friendly towards people, such as divers that venture into their habitat. They are found in warm and temperate zones of all oceans, including the Eastern Pacific and the eastern and western Atlantic. Mola molas are considered a delicacy by some, but may also be poisonous.
See sunfish for other similarly-named fish species.