Fish Identification Photos: Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola: The Ocean Sunfish has a grey-brown overall appearance that is dark blue above and silver below, with dark fins. It has an oval body with a height that is equal to 60 percent of its length. The Ocean Sunfish has a very small mouth with a prominent hump above. The anal and dorsal fins are long and curved with short bases.

The Ocean Sunfish has short rounded pectoral fins and no pelvic fins. The caudal fin has a round undulating profile. The Ocean Sunfish has thick tough skin with small denticles. These fish can be easily confused with the Sharptail Sunfish, Mola lanceolatus (height less than 50 percent of length, pointed tail, and only found in the greater La Paz area), and the Slender Sunfish, Ranzania laevis (height 33 percent of length, short oblique tail, thin white bars on the first half of the lower body).

The Ocean Sunfish is reported to reach up to 11 feet in length and in excess of 3,000 pounds. It is found up to 600 feet deep in the water column. The food value of the Ocean Sunfish is unknown.

The Ocean Sunfish is a member of the Molidae Family of which there are four global species from three genera, of which three live in Mexican waters.

The Ocean Sunfish are pelagic oceanic fish found in all global tropical seas. They are known to frequent drifting debris and can be seen either upright with the dorsal fins out of the water or lying on the side on the surface waving a pectoral fin. This later trait, which contributed to their naming, is thought to be a mechanism to attract sea birds who clean them of parasites.

Females are reported to lay in excess of 300 million eggs per annum. They consume mid-water dwellers such as jellyfishes and bottom dwelling crustaceans and occasionally small fishes. The Ocean Sunfish remain at sea because when they wander inshore that are violently attacked by sea lions.

Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola: Photo courtesy Trout Traubman.