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Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758)

Ocean sunfish
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Mola mola   AquaMaps   Data sources: GBIF OBIS
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Image of Mola mola (Ocean sunfish)
Mola mola
Picture by Zuberbuhler, T.


Galapagos Islands country information

Common names: [No common name]
Occurrence: native
Salinity: marine
Abundance: | Ref:
Importance: | Ref:
Aquaculture: never/rarely | Ref:
Regulations: no regulations | Ref:
Uses: no uses
Comments:
National Checklist:
Country Information:
National Fisheries Authority:
Occurrences: Occurrences Point map
Main Ref: Grove, J.S., D.J. Long, D.R. Robertson and B.C. Victor, 2022
National Database:

Common names from other countries

Classification / Names ชื่อสามัญ | ชื่อพ้อง | Catalog of Fishes(สกุล, ชนิด) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

> Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) > Molidae (Molas or Ocean Sunfishes)
Etymology: Mola: Latin, mola, -ae = stone mill; because of the shape of this fish (Ref. 45335).
  More on author: Linnaeus.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range นิเวศวิทยา

เกี่ยวกับทะเล,น้ำเค็ม; สัตว์น้ำที่อาศัยและอพยพภายในทะเลเท่านั้น (Ref. 51243); ระดับความลึก 30 - 1515 m (Ref. 86942), usually 30 - 70 m (Ref. 90102).   Subtropical; 12°C - 25°C (Ref. 37040); 75°N - 65°S, 180°W - 180°E

การแพร่กระจาย ประเทศต่างๆ | พื้นที่จำแนกตาม FAO | ระบบนิเวศหลายระบบ | การปรากฏขึ้น,การเกิดขึ้น,พบ | Point map | การแนะนำ | Faunafri

Circumglobal: tropical and temperate zones of all oceans.

ขนาด / น้ำหนัก / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 333 cm TL เพศผู้/กระเทย; (Ref. 26340); น้ำหนักสูงสุดที่มีการรายงาน: 2.3 t (Ref. 47360)

Short description เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในการแยกชนิดสัตว์,สิ่งมีชีวิตออกจากกัน | สัณฐานวิทยา | ความยาวต่างๆ

เงี่ยงครีบหลัง (รวม) : 0; ก้านครีบอ่อนที่หาง (รวม) : 15 - 18; เงี่ยงครีบก้น: 0; ก้านครีบอ่อนที่ก้น: 14 - 17. The scaleless body is covered with extremely thick, elastic skin. The caudal fin is replaced by a rudder-like structure called 'clavus'. Dorsal and anal fins very high with short base; in swimming, these fins are flapped synchronously from side to side and can propel the fish at surprisingly good speed. Pectorals small and rounded, directed upward (Ref. 6885). Mouth very small; teeth fused to form a parrot-like beak. Gills 4, a slit behind the last; gill openings reduced to a small hole at the base of the pectoral fins. Gas bladder absent in adults.

ชีววิทยา     ภาคผนวก (เช่น epibenthic)

Molas are distinguished for their distinct morphological characters which include reduced/fused caudal elements, presence of a clavus in place of the caudal fin, absence of a swim bladder and a degenerate, cartilaginous skeleton (Ref. 86435). Adults are found on slopes adjacent to deep water where they come in for shelter and for seeking cleaner fishes. They are usually shy. However, they may become familiar with divers in some locations (Ref. 48637). Individuals often drift at the surface while lying on its side but can swim actively and are capable of directional movements otherwise (Ref. 86435). They swim upright and close to the surface. The dorsal fin often protrudes above the water. Females are larger than males (Ref. 86435). This species has been filmed in 480 m depth with the help of a camera equipped with baits (Lis Maclaren, pers. comm. 2005). Adults eat fishes, mollusks, zooplankton, jellyfish, crustaceans and brittle stars (Ref. 4925, 5951, 48637). A live colony of the cirripede Lepas anatifera were found attached to the anterior portion of the sunfish's esophagus that was stranded in the south coast of Terceira Island, Azores Archipelago in 2004. This association has apparent advantages for the goose barnacles such as a regular intake of food and protection both from hydrodynamic hazards and from predators: but for the sunfish, it is not clear whether it is neutral, of advantage or causes feeding problems since the attachment may obstruct the sunfish's esophagus (Ref. 55063). The sunfish is registered as the heaviest bony fish and as the one with the most eggs in the Guinness Book of World Records (Ref. 6472). Generally this species is not used as food fish; some people consider it as a delicacy (Ref. 30573). The fish can be utilized fresh and can be broiled (Ref. 9988). Some parts of the fish are used in Chinese medicine (Ref. 12166). Molas may contain the same toxin as puffers and porcupine fish (Ref. 13513). They do not adapt well in captivity (Ref. 12382, 37040). Juveniles are victims of California sea lions in Monterey Bay (Ref. 37040).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturities | การสืบพันธุ์ | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | ตัวอ่อน

Produces very numerous and small eggs; 300 million eggs found in a 1.5 m long female (Ref. 4711). Oocytes in the ovaries develop in different stages suggesting Mola mola as a multiple spawner (Ref. 86440). This is the largest clutch estimate for this species (Ref. 53596).

Main reference Upload your references | อ้างอิง | ผู้ประสานงาน | ผู้ร่วมมือ

Tortonese, E., 1990. Molidae. p. 1077-1079. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 6952)

CITES (Ref. 128078)

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Poisonous to eat (Ref. 13513)




Human uses

การประมง: มีการค้าเพียงเล็กน้อย
FAO(การประมง: การผลิต; publication : search) | FishSource | ทะเลรอบๆเรา

ข้อมูลเพิ่มเติม

Trophic ecology
รายการอาหาร
Diet compositions
Food consumptions
Food rations
ผู้ล่า
Ecology
นิเวศวิทยา
Home ranges
Population dynamics
Growths
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversions
Recruitments
Abundances
Anatomy
Gill areas
สมอง
Otoliths
Physiology
Body compositions
Nutrients
Oxygen consumptions
รูปแบบการว่ายน้ำ
Swimming speeds
Visual pigment(s)
เสียงของปลา
Diseases / Parasites
Toxicities (LC50s)
Genetics
พันธุศาสตร์
Electrophoreses
Heritabilities
Human related
Aquaculture systems
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เครื่องมือ

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Estimates based on models

Preferred temperature (Ref. 115969): 5.3 - 20.5, mean 10.2 (based on 1286 cells).
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.6562   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02455 (0.01018 - 0.05918), b=3.02 (2.81 - 3.23), in cm Total Length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
ระดับชั้นอาหาร (Ref. 69278):  3.1   ±0.41 se; based on food items.
ความสามารถในการกลับคืนสู่ปกติ (Ref. 120179):  ต่ำ, เวลาต่ำสุดที่จะทำให้ประชากรเพิ่มขึ้นเป็น 2 เท่าใช้เวลา 4.5 - 14 ปี (tmax assumed > 15; Fec=300 million (batch fecundity)).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  High to very high vulnerability (67 of 100).
Climate Vulnerability (Ref. 125649):  Moderate vulnerability (43 of 100).
Price category (Ref. 80766):   Unknown.