Jellyfish, and a lot of them, are the mainstay of the ocean sunfish diet. If you caught one of these, you’d be hard pressed to reel it in without some heavy equipment as these Mola mola (their scientific name) can weigh up to 2,200 lbs. They are considered a delicacy in some Asian regions of the world.

The ocean sunfish is part of the puffer fish family called Tetraodontiformes and prefers tropical waters. The female ocean sunfish lays more eggs than any other type of vertebrate. The shape of the adult is flat and almost oval-looking. Juveniles exhibit body spines and look more like a puffer fish until they mature.

Sea lions, sharks and orca whales prey on adult ocean sunfish, while the younger generation can be hunted by bluefin tuna. Brown, white or a combination of silver and gray are the typical colors of the adults.

Text source: Wikipedia under Creative Commons licence.
Photo credit: Michel Labrecque at the Plongée XL in Quebec

© Copyright Vince Capone 2013