Common name: Moon Fish / Sun Fish
Scientific name: Mola mola
Fish
Diet: Carnivores
Average life expectancy in the wild: up to 10 years
Size: 11 feet (more than 3 meters)
Weight: up to 2.5 tons
Status in the Red Book: Nearing Endangerment
Current Quantity: Descending
Unique features
Moonfish have a round and flattened body like a bullet, so their dorsal fin almost never develops. Instead, they can fold themselves to look like a giant creature and create a circular rudder also known as “Clavus”. Mola in Latin means “mill” and this is also the name given to describe the special shape of this interesting fish. Their skin texture is quite rough and is usually only gray or silver.
Dimensions and Weight
Moonfish are the heaviest vertebrate fish in the world, with some individuals reaching up to 14 feet (almost 4 meters) in length, 10 feet (more than 3 meters) in width, and weighing nearly 5,000 pounds. more than 2,200 kg). Sharks and rays may be heavier than Moonfish, but they are Cartilaginous Fish.
Parasites
Moonfish are hosts to many parasites, so they often “party” to treat guests who are small fish or seabirds to help them deal with those nasty parasites. . They can even jump out of the water up to 10 feet (more than 3 meters) to shake off the parasites that are nesting on them.
Movement and diet
Moonfish are rather clumsy swimmers, using their dorsal and anal fins for movement and rudder. Their main food is jellyfish, zooplankton and algae. They are quite harmless to humans but are very curious and often come close to divers.
Threats
The number of this fish is decreasing and facing danger. The reason is that they often get stuck in fishing nets and suffocate when swallowing garbage bags at sea because they mistakenly think it is jellyfish.
Some interesting information about the Moonfish you may not know:
• The nickname of the Moonfish is “The swimming head”
• Small fishes and seabirds often party on Moon mermaids to help kill off parasites that feed on them.
• Moonfish can grow to over 4,000 pounds (more than 1,800 kg)
• The Sunfish is related to the Pufferfish.
