The ocean sunfish, weighing up to two tonnes and adorned with parasites, may not fit the typical fish image. In a detailed exploration on The Nature of Things 101, Sarika Cullis-Suzuki delves into the peculiarities of what could be the world’s most unusual fish.
Describing the Mola mola, a species of ocean sunfish and among the largest fish in the ocean, Cullis-Suzuki showcases its unique features like the circular body, lack of a tail, and enormous fins using a life-size model. These fish, renowned for their long-distance travels and deep-sea swims in search of food, are magnets for parasites due to their slow movement, large surface area, and traversal through various water zones.
Cullis-Suzuki highlights the widespread presence of parasites on the Mola mola, including on the skin, gills, fins, eyeballs, mouth, and intestine, with over 73 parasite species identified. The fish’s parasite removal methods, such as breaching out of the water and allowing smaller fish and birds to feed on the parasites, demonstrate their adaptation strategies.
Despite existing knowledge about the ocean sunfish, it remains a species ripe for further research and discovery, as emphasized by Cullis-Suzuki. To explore more about this fascinating fish, viewers can tune in to The Nature of Things 101 on CBC Gem and the The Nature of Things YouTube channel.
