Ocean Sunfish

ocean · giant fish · weird shape

Massive and flat. Ocean sunfish can weigh between 247 and 1,000 kilograms, making them one of the largest ray-finned fish in the world. Their bodies are flattened from side to side, giving them an unusual disk-like appearance.

Found everywhere tropical. Ocean sunfish live in tropical and temperate waters all around the world, swimming in oceans from warm to moderately cool areas.

Tall as they are long. When ocean sunfish extend their long dorsal and ventral fins, they can be just as tall as they are long, creating an almost circular shape in the water.

Head without a tail. The ocean sunfish looks like a giant fish head with hardly any tail at all, which is why some people think it looks strange and funny compared to other fish.

Not the heaviest. People used to think the ocean sunfish was the heaviest bony fish, but scientists discovered that a closely related sunfish species called Mola alexandrini is actually heavier.