Ocean sunfish (Mola mola) is a saltwater species recorded in the United States. It is found at depths of 30–1515 m. The main season in the United States runs all year.
Scientific name: Mola mola · Water: Saltwater · Season: All year
Size: up to 330 cm
Weight: up to 2300 kg
The ocean sunfish (Mola mola) is a member of the family Molidae whose body looks like a giant fish head with a tail, its caudal fin replaced by a rounded rudder and its dorsal and anal fins enormously tall; it is one of the heaviest bony fishes known. It is a large oceanic species found in tropical and temperate seas worldwide, usually in water warmer than 12°C, and it often lies on its side at the surface — the habit behind the name sunfish. In the United States most records come from off California (about 3,500 GBIF records, in a national total of more than 170,000), with Massachusetts, Maine, Oregon and North Carolina also represented. It is a curiosity or incidental catch rather than a target: most are hooked while swordfishing, tuna fishing or drifting, and many are taken in gillnets. Heavy offshore gear is needed, and the fish is best unhooked and released at the boat rather than landed.
Caution: contains tetrodotoxin. Never prepare or eat this fish yourself; handling and eating must follow the local food-safety rules.
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