The Hoodwinker Sunfish
This month’s post is reminiscent of last month’s, more about toxins. However, let’s start with something different. The Ocean Sunfish, genus Mola , is odd-looking—it looks somewhat like a fish that has been cut in half. In addition, these species contain many superlatives. They are one of the largest bony fishes, reaching 3.3 meters and 2740 kg (6000 lbs). Females possess a remarkable reproductive capacity, producing more eggs than any known vertebrate, a staggering 300 million at a time. The little fish fry are tiny. The fry can grow up to 60 million times its original weight before reaching adult proportions, arguably the most extreme size growth of any vertebrate animal. In 2016, researchers sequenced the genome, discovering several genes that might explain its fast growth rate and large body size. Figure 1. Drawing of an adult Ocean Sunfish, Mola mola . The Hoodwinker Sunfish, Mola tecta, is a species of Sunfish that has only recently come to light, discovered in 20...