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more like ocean poofish, am i rite?
:''This article is about the ocean sunfish, ''Mola mola''. For other fishes known as "sunfish", see [[sunfish]].''

{{Taxobox
| name = Ocean sunfish
| status =
| image = MolaMola Lisboa20051020 Modified.jpg
| image_width = 250px
| regnum = [[Animal]]ia
| phylum = [[Chordate|Chordata]]
| classis = [[Actinopterygii]]
| ordo = [[Tetraodontiformes]]
| familia = [[Molidae]]
| genus = ''[[Mola (genus)|Mola]]''
| species = '''''M. mola'''''
| binomial = ''Mola mola''
| binomial_authority = ([[Carolus Linnaeus|Linnaeus]], 1758)
}}

The '''ocean sunfish''', ''Mola mola'', or '''common mola''', is the heaviest known [[Osteichthyes|bony fish]] in the world. It has an average weight of 1,000 kilograms (2,200 lb). The species is native to [[Tropical fish|tropical]] and [[temperate]] waters around the globe. It resembles a fish head without a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long when their [[Dorsal fin|dorsal]] and ventral [[Fish anatomy#Fins|fins]] are extended.

Sunfish live on a diet that consists mainly of [[jellyfish]]. As this diet is nutritionally poor, they consume large amounts in order to develop and maintain their great bulk. Females of the species can produce more [[Egg (biology)|eggs]] than any other known [[vertebrate]]. Sunfish [[Spawn (biology)#Fry|fry]] resemble miniature [[pufferfish]], with large pectoral fins, a tail fin and body spines uncharacteristic of adult sunfish.

Adult sunfish are vulnerable to few natural predators, but [[sea lion]]s, [[orca]]s and [[shark]]s will consume them. Among humans, sunfish are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, including [[Japan]] and [[Taiwan]], but sale of their flesh is banned in the [[European Union]].<ref name="BannedinEEC">{{citeweb |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31991L0493&model=guichett |title=Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991 laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery products |1991-07-22 |publisher=Official Journal of the European Union |accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref> Sunfish are frequently, though accidentally, caught in [[gillnet]]s, and are also vulnerable to harm or death from encounters with floating trash, such as plastic bags.

A member of the [[order (biology)|order]] [[Tetraodontiformes]] which includes [[pufferfish]], [[porcupinefish]] and [[filefish]], the sunfish shares many traits common to members of this order. It was originally classified as ''[[Tetraodon]] mola'' under the pufferfish genus, but it has since been given its own genus, ''[[Mola (genus)|Mola]]'', with two species under it. The ocean sunfish, ''Mola mola'', is the [[type species]] of the [[genus]].

==Naming and taxonomy==
Many of the sunfish's various names allude to its unique flattened shape. Its specific name, ''mola'', is Latin for "millstone", which the fish resembles because of its grey color, rough texture, and rounded body. Its common English name, sunfish, refers to the animal's habit of sunbathing at the surface of the water. The Portuguese-, French-, Spanish- and German-language names, respectively ''peixe lua'', ''poisson lune'', ''pez luna'' and ''Mondfisch'', mean "moon fish", in reference to its rounded shape. In German, the fish is also known as ''Schwimmender Kopf'', or "swimming head", because it has no true tail.<!--Some Taiwanese{{who}} refer to it as the "toppled car fish" for its tendency to lie on its side while sunbathing.{{fact}}--> In Taiwan's Hualien County, where sunfish are featured as the official mascot, they are known as the "mambo fish" for their swimming motions.
The ocean sunfish has various obsolete [[binomial nomenclature|binomial]] synonyms, and was originally classified in a pufferfish genus, as ''[[Tetraodon]] mola''.<ref name="CatalogOfFishes">{{FishBase_genus
|genus=''Mola''
|month=June
|year=2007}}</ref><ref name="AnnotatedChecklist">{{cite journal
|last=Parenti
|first=Paolo
|coauthors=
|month=September
|year=2003
|title=Family Molidae Bonaparte 1832: molas or ocean sunfishes
|journal=Annotated Checklist of Fishes (electronic journal)
|volume=18
|issue=
|pages=
|issn=1545-150X
|url=http://www.calacademy.org/RESEARCH/ichthyology/annotated/checklists/Molidae.pdf
|format=PDF
|accessdate=2007-07-07
}}</ref>
It is now placed under its own [[genus]], ''Mola'', with two [[species]] under it: ''Mola mola'' and ''[[Mola ramsayi]]''. The ocean sunfish, ''Mola mola'', is the [[type species]] of the genus.<ref name="EvolutionSunfishPaper">{{cite journal
|last=Bass
|first=L. Anna
|coauthors=Heidi Dewar, Tierney Thys, J. Todd. Streelman and Stephen A. Karl
|month=July
|year=2005
|title=Evolutionary divergence among lineages of the ocean sunfish family, Molidae (Tetraodontiformes)
|journal=Marine Biology
|volume=148
|issue=2
|pages=405-414
|issn=0025-3162
|url=http://www.oceansunfish.org/MolageneticsMarBio05.pdf
|format=PDF
|accessdate=2007-06-26
}}</ref>

The ''Mola'' genus belongs to the [[Molidae]] [[family (biology)|family]]. This family comprise 3 genera: ''[[Masturus]]'', ''[[Mola (genus)|Mola]]'' and ''[[Slender sunfish|Ranzania]]''. The common name "sunfish" without qualifier is used to describe the Molidae [[seawater|marine]] family as well as the [[freshwater]] sunfishes in the family [[Centrarchidae]] which are unrelated to Molidae. On the other hand, the name "ocean sunfish" and "mola" refer only to the family Molidae.<ref name="OceanSunfishLifeHistory"/>

The Molidae family belongs to the [[order (biology)|order]] [[Tetraodontiformes]], which includes [[pufferfish]], [[porcupinefish]] and [[filefish]]. It shares many traits common to members of this order, including the four fused teeth that form the characteristic beak and give the order its name (''tetra''=four, ''odous''=tooth, and ''forma''=shape). Indeed, sunfish larvae resemble spiky pufferfish more than they resemble adult molas.<ref name="OceanSunfishEvolution">{{citeweb |url=http://www.oceansunfish.org/evolution.html
|title=Molidae information and research (Evolution)
|first=Tierney
|last=Thys
|publisher=OceanSunfish.org
|accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref>

==Description==
[[Image:Enormous Sunfish.jpg|thumb|right|A sunfish caught in 1910, with an estimated weight of {{convert|3500|lb}}]]

The ocean sunfish resembles a fish head without a tail. Its [[fish anatomy#Types of Fins|caudal fin]] is replaced by a rounded clavus, creating the body's distinct shape. The main body is flattened laterally, giving it a long oval shape when seen head-on. The pectoral fins are small and fan-shaped. However, the dorsal fin and the anal fin are lengthened, often making the fish as tall as it is long. Specimens up to {{Convert|3.2|m|ft|1|lk=on|sp=us}} in height have been recorded.<ref name="NZHeraldVisitor"/>

The ocean sunfish has an average length of {{Convert|1.8|m|ft|1|lk=on|sp=us}}, and an average weight of 1,000&nbsp;kilograms (2,200&nbsp;[[Pound (mass)|lb]]),<ref name="OceanSunfishLifeHistory">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.oceansunfish.org/lifehistory.html
|title=Molidae Descriptions and Life History
|first=Tierney
|last=Thys
|publisher=OceanSunfish.org
|accessdate=2007-05-08}}</ref>
although individuals up to {{Convert|3.3|m|ft|1|sp=us}} in length<ref name="NZHeraldVisitor">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10412167
|title=Tropical sunfish visitor as big as a car
|month=November 24
|year=2006
|author=Juliet Rowan
|publisher=The New Zealand Herald
|accessdate=2007-05-08}}</ref>
and weighing up to 2,300&nbsp;kilograms (5,100&nbsp;lb)<ref name="fishbase">{{FishBase_species
|genus=''Mola''
|species=''mola''
|year=2006
|month=March}}</ref>
have been observed.

The spinal column of ''M. mola'' contains fewer [[vertebra]]e and is shorter in relation to the body than that of any other fish.<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.tunalab.unh.edu/molalifehistory.htm
|title=Mola mola program - Life History |publisher=Large Pelagics Research Lab
|accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref>
The spinal cord of a specimen measuring 2.1&nbsp;meters (7&nbsp;ft) in length is under {{Convert|25|mm|in|0|sp=us}} long.<ref name="OnlineFieldGuide">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.montereybayaquarium.com/efc/living_species/default.asp?hOri=0&hab=8&inhab=130
|title=Online Field Guide - Ocean sunfish
|publisher=Monterey Bay Aquarium
|accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref>
Even though sunfish descended from [[Osteichthyes|bony ancestors]], its skeleton actually contains largely [[cartilage]] tissues which is lighter than true [[bone]] and allows it to grow to sizes uneconomical for other bony fishes.<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory"/>
<ref name="OnlineFieldGuide">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.naturalhistorymag.com/0307/0307_biomechanics.html
|title=No Bones About ’Em
|publisher=Natural History Magazine
|author=Adam Summers
|accessdate=2007-06-30}}</ref>

The sunfish lacks a [[swim bladder]].<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory"/> Some sources indicate that the internal organs contain a concentrated [[neurotoxin]], [[tetrodotoxin]], like the organs of other poisonous tetraodontiformes,<ref name="fishbase"/> while others dispute this claim.<ref name="OceanSunfishResearch"/>

===Fins===
[[Image:MolaMolaDorsalFin.jpg|thumb|left|The [[dorsal fin]] of a sunfish, sometimes mistaken for that of a shark]]

In the course of its evolution, the caudal fin (tail) of the sunfish disappeared, to be replaced by a lumpy pseudo-tail, the clavus. This structure is formed by the convergence of the dorsal and anal fins.<ref name="StrangeTail">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2006/feb/news_7758.html
|title=Strange tail of the sunfish
|publisher=The Natural History Museum
|accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref><ref name="Leis'Conundrum">{{cite journal
|last=Johnson
|first=G. David
|coauthors=Ralf Britz
|month=October
|year=2005
|title=Leis' Conundrum: Homology of the Clavus of the Ocean Sunfishes. 2. Ontogeny of the Median Fins and Axial Skeleton of ''Ranzania laevis'' (Teleostei, Tetraodontiformes, Molidae)
|journal=Journal of Morphology
|volume=266
|issue=1
|pages=11-21
|issn=0362-2525 |url=http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/user/accessdenied?ID=109795665&Act=2138&Code=4717&Page=/cgi-bin/fulltext/109795665/PDFSTART |format=PDF (fee required)
|accessdate=2007-06-11
|quote=We thus conclude that the molid clavus is unequivocally formed by modified elements of the dorsal and anal fin and that the caudal fin is lost in molids.}}</ref>
The smooth-denticled clavus retains twelve [[fin ray]]s,<ref name="Stranding"/> and terminates in a number of rounded ossicles.<ref name="AustMuseumAdult">{{citeweb |url=http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/mola.htm
|title=Ocean sunfish, ''Mola mola''
|author=M. McGrouther
|month=February
|year=2007
|publisher=Australian Museum Online
|accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref>
Without a true tail to provide thrust for forward motion and equipped with only small pectoral fins, ''Mola mola'' relies on its long, thin dorsal and anal fins for propulsion, driving itself forward by moving these fins from side to side.<ref name="OnlineFieldGuide"/>

Ocean sunfish often swim near the surface, and their protruding dorsal fins are sometimes mistaken for those of [[shark]]s.<ref name="NationalGeo"/> However, it is possible to distinguish a shark from a sunfish, by observing the trajectory made by the dorsal fin on the surface, while the fish itself moves underwater and remains unseen. Sharks, like most fish, swim by waving the tail sideways while keeping the dorsal fin moving in a straight line. The sunfish, on the other hand, swings its dorsal fin and anal fin in its characteristic sculling motion. Thus, the sideways movement of the dorsal fin on the surface can be used to identify the sunfish.<ref name="UnderwaterPioneer"/>

===Skin===
[[Image:Mola mola.jpg|thumb|right|''M. mola'' in typical swimming position]]

Adult sunfish range from brown to silvery-gray or white, with a variety of mottled skin patterns; some of these patterns may be region-specific.<ref name="OceanSunfishLifeHistory"/> Coloration is often darker on the dorsal surface, fading to a lighter shade ventrally as a form of counter-shading camouflage. ''Mola mola'' also exhibits the ability to vary skin coloration from light to dark, especially when under attack.<ref name="OceanSunfishLifeHistory"/> The skin, which contains large amounts of reticulated collagen, can be up to {{Convert|3|in|cm|1|sp=us}} thick on the ventral surface, and is covered by denticles and a layer of [[mucus]] instead of [[Scale (zoology)|scales]]. The skin on the clavus is smoother than that on the body, where it can be as rough as sandpaper.<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory"/>

More than 40 species of [[parasite]]s may reside on the skin and internally, motivating the fish to seek relief in a number of ways.<ref name="OceanSunfishLifeHistory"/>
<ref name="Stranding">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/mmola.htm
|title=Ocean Sunfish Stranding
|author=M. McGrouther
|month=November
|year=2004
|publisher=Australian Museum Online
|accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref>
In temperate regions, drifting kelp fields harbor [[cleaner fish|cleaner wrasse]]s and other fish which remove parasites from the skin of visiting sunfish. In the tropics, the ''mola'' will solicit cleaner help from reef fishes. By basking on its side at the surface, the sunfish also allows seabirds to feed on parasites from their skin. Sunfish have been reported to [[Whale_surfacing_behaviour#Breaching,_lunging_and_porpoising|breach]] more than ten feet above the surface, possibly as another effort to dislodge parasites on the body.<ref name="NationalGeo">{{citeweb
|url=http://www3.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/mola.html
|title=Mola (Sunfish)
|publisher=National Geographic
|accessdate=2007-05-08}}</ref><ref>{{citeweb |url=http://www.oceansunfish.org/sightings.html
|title=Molidae information and research
|first=Tierney
|last=Thys
|publisher=OceanSunfish.org
|access2007-05-11}}</ref>

==Range and behavior==
[[Image:SurfacedMolaMola.jpg|thumb|right|''M. mola'' exhibiting its characteristic horizontal basking behavior]]

Ocean sunfish are native to the [[temperate]] and [[tropical fish|tropical]] waters of every ocean in the world.<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory"/> ''Mola'' [[genotype]]s appear to vary widely between the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and [[Pacific Ocean|Pacific]], but genetic differences between individuals in the [[Northern Hemisphere|Northern]] and [[Southern Hemisphere]]s are minimal.<ref name="TrackingSunfish"/>

Sunfish are [[pelagic]] and swim at depths of up to {{Convert|600|m|sigfig=1|sp=us}}. Contrary to the general perception that sunfish spend much of their time basking at the surface, research suggests that adult ''M. mola'' actually spend a large portion of their lives submerged at depths greater than {{Convert|200|m|sigfig=1|sp=us}}, occupying both the [[epipelagic]] and [[mesopelagic]] zones.<ref name="LargePelagicsPreliminary"> {{citeweb
|url=http://www.tunalab.unh.edu/molaresearchresults.htm
|title=Mola mola program - Preliminary results |month=January
|year=2006
|publisher=Large Pelagics Research Lab
|accessdate=2007-04-11}}</ref>

They usually stay in water warmer than {{Convert|10|°C|°F|0|lk=on}}.<ref name="LargePelagicsPreliminary"/> In fact, prolonged periods spent in water at temperatures of 12&nbsp;°C (53&nbsp;°F) or lower can lead to disorientation and eventual death.<ref name="UnderwaterPioneer"/> Researchers theorize that the basking behavior at the surface, in which the sunfish swims on its side presenting its largest profile to the sun, may be a method of "thermally recharging" following dives into deeper, colder water.
<ref name="Biogeography"> {{citeweb
|url=http://bss.sfsu.edu/holzman/courses/fall00projects/mola.html
|title= The Biogeography of Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola)
|month=Fall
|year=2000
|publisher= San Francisco State University Department of Geography |accessdate=2008-04-25}}</ref>
<ref name="TrackingSunfish">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.oceansunfish.org/MontereySanctuaryv11.html
|title=Tracking Ocean Sunfish, ''Mola mola'' with Pop-Up Satellite Archival Tags in California Waters
|first=Tierney
|last=Thys
|date=[[2003-11-30]]
|publisher=OceanSunfish.org
|accessdate=2007-06-14}}</ref>
Others point to sightings of the fish in colder waters such as those southwest of England outside of its usual habitat as evidence of increasing marine temperatures.<ref>{{citeweb
|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/conservation/story/0,,1828580,00.html
|title=Warm Cornish waters attract new marine life
|author=Mark Oliver and agencies
|month=July 25
|year=2006
|publisher=Guardian Unlimited
|accessdate=2007-05-08}}</ref>

Sunfish are usually found alone, but occasionally in pairs or in large groups while being cleaned.<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory"/> They swim primarily in open waters, but are sometimes seen near kelp beds taking advantage of resident populations of smaller fish which remove [[ectoparasite]]s from their skin. Because sunfish must consume a large volume of prey, their presence in a given area may be used as an indicator of nutrient-rich waters where endangered species may be found.<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory"/> <!-- What does this really mean?? suggest to take away last paragraph -->

===Feeding===

The diet of the ocean sunfish consists primarily of various [[jellyfish]] (similar to the diet of a [[leatherback turtle]]). But it also consumes [[salp]]s, [[comb jelly|comb jellies]], [[zooplankton]], [[squid]], [[crustacean]]s, small fishes, fish larvae, and [[Zostera|eel grass]].<ref name="OnlineFieldGuide"/> This diet is nutritionally poor, forcing the sunfish to consume large amount of food to maintain its size.<ref name="UnderwaterPioneer"/> The range of food items found inside sunfish indicates that the sunfish feeds at many levels, from the surface to deep water, and occasionally down to the seafloor in some areas.<ref name="OceanSunfishLifeHistory"/>

The sunfish can spit out and pull in water through its small mouth to tear apart soft-bodied prey.<ref name="OnlineFieldGuide"/> Its teeth are fused into a beak-like structure, allowing it to break up harder organisms.<ref name="fishbase"/> In addition, pharyngeal teeth located in the throat grind food into smaller pieces before passing them to the stomach.<ref name="OnlineFieldGuide"/>

===Life cycle===
[[Image:Molalavdj.jpg|thumb|A sunfish fry, which still possesses spines that will later disappear]]

Ocean sunfish may live up to ten years in captivity, but their lifespan in a natural habitat has not yet been determined.<ref name="NationalGeo"/> Their growth rate is also indeterminate. However, it is known that a young specimen at the [[Monterey Bay Aquarium]] increased in weight from 26&nbsp;kg (57&nbsp;lb) to 399&nbsp;kg (880&nbsp;lb) and reached a height of nearly 1.8&nbsp;m (6&nbsp;ft) in fifteen months.<ref name="UnderwaterPioneer"/>

The sheer size and thick skin of an adult of the species deters many smaller predators, but younger individuals are vulnerable to predation by [[bluefin tuna]] and [[mahi mahi]]. Adults are consumed by [[sea lion]]s, [[orca]]s and [[shark]]s.<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory"/> Sea lions appear to hunt sunfish for sport, tearing the fins off, tossing the body around, and then simply abandoning the still-living but helpless fish to die on the seafloor.<ref name="OceanSunfishLifeHistory"/><ref name="UnderwaterPioneer">{{cite book |url=http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt2g502035/ |title=A Fascination for Fish: Adventures of an Underwater Pioneer |first=David C. |last=Powell |origyear=2001 |year=2001 |accessdate=2007-06-13 |publisher=University of California Press, Monterey Bay Aquarium |location=Berkeley |isbn=0-520-22366-7 |oclc=44425533 |pages=pp. 270-275 |chapter=21. Pelagic Fishes |chapterurl=http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt2g502035&chunk.id=ch21}}</ref>

The mating practices of the ocean sunfish are poorly understood, but spawning areas have been suggested in North Atlantic, South Atlantic, North Pacific, South Pacific, and Indian Oceans.<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory"/> Females can produce as many as 300 million eggs at a time, more than any other known vertebrate.<ref name="OceanSunfishLifeHistory"/> Sunfish eggs are released into the water and [[spawn (biology)|externally fertilized]] by sperm.<ref name="AustMuseumLarvae"/>

Newly-hatched sunfish larvae are only 2.5 mm (one-tenth of an inch) long. They grow to become fry, and those which survive grow many millions of times their original size before reaching adult proportions.<ref name="OnlineFieldGuide"/> Sunfish [[Spawn (biology)#Fry|fry]], with large pectoral fins, a tail fin and body spines uncharacteristic of adult sunfish, resemble miniature [[pufferfish]], their close relatives.<ref name="AustMuseumLarvae">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/molalav.htm
|title=Larval Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola
|author=M. McGrouther
|month=June
|year=2006
|publisher=Australian Museum Online
|accessdate=2007-05-11}}</ref><ref name="FOGM_Mola">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.gma.org/fogm/Mola_mola.htm
|title=The Ocean Sunfishes or Headfishes
|author=Fishes of the Gulf of Maine
|publisher=Fishes of the Gulf of Maine
|accessdate=2007-06-30}}</ref>
Young sunfish school for protection, but this behavior is abandoned as they grow.<ref name="SwimWithSunfish"/>

==Human interaction==
Despite their size, ocean sunfish are docile, and pose no threat to human divers.<ref name="AustMuseumAdult"/> Injuries from sunfish are rare, although there is a slight danger from large sunfish leaping out of the water onto boats. According to Cliff Benson of Sea Trust, the only case of a sunfish killing a person was when it landed on someone and crushed them.<ref>{{cite news | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/4192566.stm | title = Boy struck by giant tropical fish | publisher = BBC | date = 2005-08-28 | accessdate = 2008-04-25}}</ref> Areas where they are commonly found are popular destination for sport dives, and sunfish at some locations have reportedly become familiar with divers.<ref name="fishbase"/> In fact, the fish is more threatening to boaters than swimmers, as its immense size and weight can cause significant damage when struck by watercraft. Collisions with sunfish may cause damage to the hull of a boat,<ref name="BoatAlarm">{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20965343-23218,00.html
|title=Giant sunfish alarm crews
|first=Amanda
|last=Lulham
|date=[[2006-12-23]]
|publisher=The Daily Telegraph
|accessdate=2007-06-12
|language=English}}</ref>
and their bodies can become lodged in the propellers of larger ships.<ref>{{citeweb |url=http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/mmola6.htm
|title=Sunfish
|publisher=Australian Museum Online
|accessdate=2007-06-12}}</ref>

[[Image:SunfishDish1 2.jpg|thumb|left|A dish made with the meat of the ocean sunfish]]

The flesh of the ocean sunfish is considered a delicacy in some regions, the largest markets being Taiwan and Japan. All parts of the sunfish are [[fish (food)|used in cuisine]], from the fins to the internal organs.<ref name="OceanSunfishResearch"/>
Some parts of the fish are used in some areas of traditional medicine.<ref name="fishbase"/>
<!--<nowiki> Removed - speculation:
If the body does indeed contain toxins, then the marketing and sale of ocean sunfish meat is forbidden in the [[European Economic Community]] according to Council Directive 91/493/EEC of July 22, 1991.<ref name="BannedinEEC">{{citeweb |url=http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=31991L0493&model=guichett |title=Council Directive 91/493/EEC of 22 July 1991 laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on the market of fishery products
|1991-07-22
|publisher=Official Journal of the European Union
|accessdate=2007-05-29}}</ref>
</nowiki>-->

Sunfish are accidentally but frequently caught in drift [[gillnet]] fisheries, making up nearly 30% of the total catch of the swordfish fishery employing drift gillnet in California.<ref name="OnlineFieldGuide"/> The [[by-catch]] rate is even higher for the Mediterranean swordfish industry, with 71% to 90% of the total catch being sunfish.<ref name="OceanSunfishResearch"/><ref name="SwimWithSunfish">{{cite video
|people=Tierney Thys
|year=2003
|date=February
|title=Swim with giant sunfish in the open ocean
|url=http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/126
|format=.swf
|medium=Professional conference
|publisher=Technology Entertainment Design
|location=Monterey, California, United States
|accessdate =2007-05-30}}</ref>

The fishery, by-catch and destruction of ocean sunfish are unregulated worldwide. In some areas, the fish are "finned" by fishermen who regard them as worthless bait thieves. This process, in which the fins are cut off, results in the eventual death of the fish, because it can no longer propel itself without its dorsal and anal fins.<ref name="MolaFishery">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.tunalab.unh.edu/molafishery.htm
|title=Present Fishery/Conservation
|first=Tierney
|last=Thys
|publisher=Large Pelagics Lab
|accessdate=2007-06-13}}</ref>
The species is also threatened by floating trash such as plastic bags which resemble jellyfish, its main diet. Bags can choke and suffocate an individual or fill its stomach to the extent that it starves.<ref name="NationalGeo"/>

Many areas of sunfish biology remain poorly understood, and various research efforts are underway, including aerial surveys of ''mola'' populations,<ref name="LargePelagicsResearch">{{citeweb |url=http://www.tunalab.unh.edu/molaresearch.htm
|title=Current Research
|publisher=Large Pelagics Research Lab
|accessdate=2007-06-11}}</ref>
satellite surveillance using pop-off satellite tags,<ref name="LargePelagicsResearch"/><ref name="OceanSunfishResearch">{{citeweb |url=http://oceansunfish.org/research.html
|title=Ongoing Research
|first=Tierney
|last=Thys
|publisher=OceanSunfish.org
|accessdate=2007-06-11}}</ref>
genetic analysis of tissue samples,<ref name="OceanSunfishResearch"/> and collection of amateur sighting data.<ref>{{citeweb |url=http://www.tunalab.unh.edu/haveyouseenamola.htm
|title=Have you seen a Mola??
|publisher=Large Pelagics Research Lab
|accessdate=2007-06-11}}</ref>
Recent studies indicate a decrease in sunfish populations that may be caused by more frequent bycatch and the increasing popularity of sunfish in human diet.<ref name="LargePelagicsLifeHistory"/>

===Sunfish in captivity===
[[Image:Mola mola ocean sunfish Monterey Bay Aquarium 2.jpg|thumb|A tank at the Monterey Bay Aquarium provides a size comparison between an ocean sunfish and humans]]

Sunfish are not widely held in aquarium exhibits, due to the unique and demanding requirements of their care. Some Asian aquariums display them, particularly in Japan.<ref name="UnderwaterPioneer"/> The [[Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan|Kaiyukan Aquarium]] in Osaka, Japan, is one of few aquariums with ''mola'' on display, where it is reportedly as popular an attraction as the larger [[whale shark]]s.<ref name="OsakaAquarium">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.kaiyukan.com/eng/life/index.htm
|title=Main Creature in Kaiyukan
|publisher=Osaka Kaiyukan Aquarium
|accessdate=2007-06-13}}</ref>
The [[Lisbon Oceanarium]] in Portugal is another aquarium where sunfish are showcased in the main tank.<ref name="Oceanario_Lisbon">{{citeweb
|url=http://www.oceanario.pt/SITE/ol_especie_01.asp?especieid=40
|title=Ocean sunfish at Oceanario
|publisher=Oceanario
|accessdate=2007-09-06}}</ref>

The first ocean sunfish to be held in an aquarium in the United States arrived at the [[Monterey Bay Aquarium]] in August of 1986.<ref>{{citeweb
|url=http://www.mbayaq.org/aa/timelineBrowser.asp?tf=32
|title=Aquarium Timeline
|publisher=Monterey Bay Aquarium
|accessdate=2007-06-11}}</ref>
Because sunfish had not been kept in captivity on a large scale before, the staff at Monterey Bay were forced to innovate and create their own methods for capture, feeding, and parasite control. By 1998, these issues were overcome, and the aquarium was able to hold a specimen for more than a year, later releasing it after its weight increased by more than fourteen times.<ref name="UnderwaterPioneer"/> ''Mola mola'' have since become a permanent feature of the Outer Bay exhibit. <ref name="OnlineFieldGuide"/> Monterey Bay Aquarium's largest sunfish specimen was euthanized on February 14, 2008 after an extended period of poor health. <ref>{{citeweb
|url=http://www.nbc11.com/news/15303517/detail.html
|title=Monterey Bay Aquarium Mourns Death Of Giant Sunfish
|publisher=NBC
|accessdate=2008-04-24}}</ref>

As the ocean sunfish is not highly maneuverable, preventing specimens from injuring themselves by rubbing against the walls of a tank is of major concern to aquarists.<ref name="OsakaAquarium"/> In a smaller tank, hanging a vinyl curtain has been used as a stopgap measure to convert a cuboid tank to a rounded shape and prevent the fish from scraping against the sides. A more effective solution is simply to provide enough room for the sunfish to swim in wide circles.<ref name="UnderwaterPioneer"/> The tank must also be sufficiently deep to accommodate the vertical height of the sunfish, which can be nearly as tall as it is long, and may reach a height of {{Convert|3.2|m|ft|1|lk=on|sp=us}}.<ref name="NZHeraldVisitor"/>

Feeding captive sunfish in a tank with other faster-moving, more aggressive fish can also present a challenge. Eventually, the fish can be taught to feed from the end of a pole or from human hands.<ref name="UnderwaterPioneer"/>

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist|2}}

== External links ==
{{commonscat|Mola mola}}
{{wikispecies|Mola mola}}
====Research and info====
* [http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1732 FishBase reference]
* [http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfacts/fish/mola.htm Australian Museum]
* [http://www.tunalab.unh.edu/molalifehistory.htm Large Pelagics Research Lab]
* [http://www.oceansunfish.org OceanSunfish.org]
====Images and videos====
* [http://www.earthwindow.com/mola.html Mike Johnson Natural History Photography]
* [http://www.oceanlight.com/html/mola_mola.html Phillip Colla Photography/Oceanlight.com]
* [http://www.waterworxbali.com/mola-mola-gallery.shtml Water Worx Dive Center Bali]
* [http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/126 Video lecture (16:53): ''Swim with giant sunfish in the open ocean'' - Tierney Thys, Ph.D]

{{featured article}}

[[Category:Molidae]]

[[cs:Měsíčník svítivý]]
[[de:Mondfisch]]
[[es:Mola mola]]
[[eo:Molao]]
[[fr:Môle (poisson)]]
[[ko:개복치]]
[[io:Molio]]
[[is:Tunglfiskur]]
[[it:Mola mola]]
[[he:דג השמש]]
[[lt:Paprastoji mėnulžuvė]]
[[nl:Klompvis]]
[[ja:マンボウ]]
[[no:Månefisk]]
[[pl:Samogłów]]
[[pt:Peixe-lua]]
[[ru:Рыба-луна]]
[[fi:Möhkäkala]]
[[sv:Klumpfisk]]
[[tr:Ay balığı]]
[[zh:翻車魚]]

Revision as of 16:59, 25 April 2008

more like ocean poofish, am i rite?

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