Family Molidae

Molas

Selected Characters: Body oval; caudal fin a scalloped flap; long dorsal and anal fins opposite each other; no pelvic fins; gill slit tiny; skin leathery; mouth small; teeth united and beaklike.

Molas are large pelagic fishes which occur worldwide in temperate and tropical seas. They feed primarily on jellyfishes, but also eat algae, crustaceans, molluscs, echinoderms, and other fishes. Molas swim by flapping their large dorsal and anal fins and have been observed jumping out of the water. They often bask at the water's surface. The large dorsal fin of a mola is often mistaken for that of a shark. The Ocean Sunfish reaches lengths of over 2 meters and is the world's heaviest bony fish at 2 tons or more. It is also probably the world's most fecund fish species, capable of producing up to 300 million eggs. This fish is rare in Puget Sound.

Puget Sound Species

Mola mola Ocean Sunfish