Bali Sunfish Fun Facts

MOLA MOLA FUN FACTS

The name ‘mola’ comes from the Latin word meaning ‘millstone’, which the fish resembles with its grey colour, rough texture, and round body.

It is the heaviest known bony fish in the world with an average weight of 2,200 lbs; bigger ones have been recorded as weighing up to a whopping 5,100 lbs.

Its common English name, ‘sunfish’, refers to the fish's habit of sunbathing at the surface of the water.

A mola mola hates parasites and has various methods of trying to rid itself of these pests; one is to come to areas like Bali where reef fish can sooth its irritation, another is to bathe at the surface and attract sea gulls, a third is to jump out of the water and hit the surface hard enough to dislodge the parasites.

Mola mola can be dangerous when they jump out of the water, as in the past they have landed on top of boats!

Newly hatched mola mola larvae are only 2.5 mm long

The French, German, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian and German translations mean ‘moon fish’, in reference to its round shape.

Mola mola love eating jellyfish but have to consume large amounts because it is a nutritionally poor diet.

A juvenile mola mola resembles a miniature pufferfish and has large pectoral fins, a tail fin and body spines.

Despite their size, mola mola are docile, and pose no threat to divers - in fact they are quite curious and have been known to approach them.

Researchers believe that their sunbathing behaviour could also be a method of ‘warming up’ following deeper dives in colder water.

The sale of mola mola flesh is banned in the European Union although it is considered a delicacy in certain parts of Asia.