Return-Path: <post@manefisken.no
> (Tor Olav Torgersen)
Date: Tue, 8 Aug 1995 02:35:56 +0200
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Sunfish or Mola Mola
To: post@manefisken.no
(Mads Due-T¯nnessen)
The Moonfish, Mola mola (the second name is ALWAYS lowercase letters!), is an oceanic member of the Tetraodontiformes. It belongs to the Molidae together with one other similar looking fish.
Within the Tetraodontiformes are fish like the Triggerfishes (Balsitidae).
Porcupinefishes (Diodontidae) and Puffers (Tetraodontidae). All are characterized by very large jaw muscles acting on small jaws.This makes them well able to break open shells.
Sunfish appear from time to time in offshore fishermen's nets.They are probably worldwide in distribution, but seem commonest in oceanic currents like the Gulf Stream. I saw one last year (about 60cm long) caught by fishermen off the west coast of Scotland.
They seem to be weak swimmers. The caudal (tail) fin is much reduced, but the dorsal and anal fins are modified into strong, muscular paddles. They seem to rock these from side to side to swim. It is most likely that they feed on floating or drifting marine invertebrates like jellyfish. Certainly, they themselves are too slow to pursue active prey.
Almost nothing is know about their biology. How they reach such large sizes (up to 150cm long) on jellyfish is unknown; as I show they meet up to breed. When captured or seen from ships, they are almost always dying or sick. There is an old fisherman's tale that they surface when sick so that gulls can pick off parasites from the skin.
They are fascinating fish...but I wouldn't try keeping them in a fish tank!