Molidae

Sunfish ( Mola mola )

The sunfish ( Molidae ) (Latin: = millstone Mola ), also called fish Klump, a family are in the order of the pufferfish relatives ( Tetraodontiformes ). There are four known types that are assigned to three genera.

Sunfish come in the temperate and tropical zones in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean.

Features

Sunfish are up to 3.3 meters long and the largest species can weigh over a ton of reach. They have a laterally flattened, disc-shaped or oval shape with short but high and strong, radiating fins loose and supported by cartilage plates, symmetrically opposing dorsal and anal fins, which are the main transmission parts. A caudal peduncle and a real tail fin missing. Instead, the rear dull final body is lined with a formed from elements of the dorsal and anal fin leathery Pseudocaudale. A lateral line is absent, as otoliths, a swim bladder and pelvic fins. For the buoyancy of the skeleton strong verknorpelte provides. The gill openings are small and sit directly in front of the approach of the small pectoral fins. In the heart they have between the atrium ( atrium ) and the ventricle ( ventricle) four flaps. The gills are sitting on cartilaginous arches. Sunfish are on the upper side gray, sides silvery brown gray and colored light below. Your skin is leathery and thick, and contains small scales, which touch at the basal plates and are overlain by a cartilaginous tissue. The number of vertebrae is 16 to 18 to a turtle's beak resembling pine trees sit two coalesced teeth. On each side of the head they have two tiny, external nares. The mouth is small and terminal.

The larvae and juveniles are prickly.

Way of life

Sunfish live far from the coast, in the open ocean ( pelagic zone ) at a depth of up to 400 meters. They are slow swimmers and feed mainly on jellyfish, besides also on plankton, algae, crustaceans and fish. The largest species, Mola mola can lay up to 300 million eggs.

Species

• Masturus Gill, 1884 Spitzschwanz - sunfish ( Masturus lanceolatus ) ( Liénard, 1840)

• Sunfish ( Mola mola ) (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Mola ramsayi ( Giglioli, 1883)

• Slim bluegill ( Ranzania laevis) ( Pennant, 1776)