Page 76 - World of Animals - Issue #33
P. 76

Bizarre!



              Meet the heavyweight                                                                      OCEAN SUNFISH
                                                                                                        Mola mola
              fish that has a beak                                                                       Class Actinopterygii


              and loves to sunbathe

                                                                                                        Territory Temperate and
                                                                                                        tropical waters worldwide
             The world’s largest bony fish is a                                                          Diet Jellyfish, squid,
             strangely proportioned deep-sea diver                                                      crustaceans
                                                                                                        Lifespan 10 years (in captivity)
                                                                                                        Adult weight Up to 2,250kg
                                                                                                        (5,000lbs)
                                                                                                        Conservation Status
             The fish that loves sunbathing
                                                                                                        VULNERABLE
              Sunfish are deep-sea divers and are able to reach depths of over 500
              metres (1,600 feet). However, they actually spend half their day
              basking in the water close to the surface, lying on their
              side. This strange habit is thought to be a ploy to get
              rid of parasites – seagulls pick them off and UV
              rays may kill them off too – and to warm up
              after foraging in the chilly depths.



























            The fish

            without scales


            Unlike other fish, which are usually
            covered in scales, the ocean sunfish
            has a thick and rubbery skin that is
            rough to the touch. Having no scales
            allows the fish a greater degree of
            movement, but it also means they
            lack protection. Instead, their skin is
            covered with a layer of mucus.

            They are missing                      We once thought they                      A fish with a beak
            half of their body                    were plankton                              Ocean sunfish are related to pufferfish

                                                                                             and share some features with them,
            Looking at the fish side-on, it looks as   Plankton is the name given to creatures that move   including a rather unusual ‘beak’.
            though they are missing a large part of their   where the ocean takes them, unable to move   Resembling a bird’s bill, it is actually a
            body, with just a large head and long fins.   independently of the tides or currents. For a long   plate of four teeth that have been fused
            Instead of a tail they have an appendage   time it was thought that the ocean sunfish was   together. The fish are unable to close their
            called a clavus, which is the fusion of dorsal   one of these creatures due to their habit of lazing   mouths fully, so they drift around wide-
            and anal fins.                         around at the surface.                     eyed with their mouths open.         © FLPA


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