These strange giants are following a bloom of salps, their favorite food.
The Ocean sunfish or Mola mola is an occasional visitor to southern California waters, but this year its numbers have skyrocketed. This bizarre ocean-going giant is causing quite a stir, and its large numbers are giving a great show for people heading out on whale watching cruises. You might go out looking for blue whales, but find Mola mola!
The Ocean sunfish gets its scientific name from the Latin word for "millstone," which is an accurate description of its size, shape, and rough gray skin texture. These round fish can be up to 14 feet across, and weigh over 2 tons, making it the heaviest bony fish in the world. The fish's odd shape is partly due to its lack of a proper tail (caudal fin). Instead, the sunfish gets by with a rounded sort of flap called a clavus. The fish's anal and dorsal fins are tall and muscular, and scull back and forth like oars. They can propel the fish through the water at surprising speeds.
Mola mola are often sighted at the surface, where they can be found basking in the sun. Because of their tall dorsal fins, they are sometimes mistaken for sharks. The fish's characteristic sculling motion of the dorsal fin is a give-away, though.
