VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — A large ocean sunfish managed to get itself beached Tuesday in Volusia County. Deputies found the fish, also known as a mola mola, stuck at shore along a pier. It’s back in the Atlantic Ocean thanks to the helping hand of a deputy there.
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“Here’s how to free a Mola Mola (ocean sunfish) from a stuck position. Thanks Deputy Urquhart!” Volusia County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page.
VSO also posted some facts about species:
The mola are the heaviest of all the bony fish, with large specimens reaching 14 feet vertically and 10 feet horizontally and weighing nearly 5,000 pounds. They are clumsy swimmers, waggling their large dorsal and anal fins to move and steering with their clavus. Their food of choice is jellyfish, though they will eat small fish and huge amounts of zooplankton and algae as well. They are harmless to people, but can be very curious and will often approach divers. Their population is considered vulnerable. Sunfish frequently get snagged in drift gill nets and can suffocate on sea trash, like plastic bags, which resemble jellyfish. (Source: National Geographic)
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