Two men were paddleboarding off the southern coast of California when suddenly, a large creature with a strange shape surfaced from the water to “say hello.” Both men were incredibly surprised to see this creature approaching them.
Experts are unsure about the size of the giant fish, but based on a 4.3-meter long paddleboard in the photos, the sunfish is likely between 2.7 to 3 meters in length.
Rich German, one of the paddleboarders and the founder of the nonprofit organization Project O, which focuses on ocean protection, restoration, and conservation, encountered the fish on December 2.
The fish is likely a common sunfish (Mola mola). This species inhabits tropical and temperate waters, often swimming around the coastal areas of California.
The M. mola feeds on various underwater prey, including small fish, fish larvae, squid, and other marine invertebrates, as well as jellyfish.
Female sunfish can lay up to 300 million eggs at once, making them the most prolific of all vertebrates. Unlike their parents, juvenile sunfish are very small, measuring just a few millimeters in length. The size difference is so significant that scientists must sequence their DNA to confirm they belong to the same species. As they mature, sunfish develop large eyes, a massive head, and tall dorsal fins, which can sometimes be mistaken for shark fins when swimming near the surface.
A sunfish swimming near the surface at Laguna Beach.
Sunfish are highly susceptible to attacks from sea lions, orcas, and sharks, but overfishing and bycatch are the primary reasons for their declining numbers. This is why the International Union for Conservation of Nature lists the sunfish as “vulnerable.”
The size of this M. mola sighted is larger than the heaviest bony fish previously recorded, which was a Mola alexandrini measuring 2.7 meters and weighing 2,300 kilograms, caught off the coast of Japan in 1996, according to the Guinness World Records.
