HUGE ocean sunfish spotted off coast of Cornwall
Marine Discovery Penzance shared some amazing photos, taken during one of their trips earlier this week
Huge ocean sunfish have been spotted off the coast of west Cornwall by a boat tours company, three trips in a row!
Marine Discovery Penzance managed to capture these incredible photos on Tuesday (25th May).
One shows the amazing creature close to the surface with its mouth wide open!
Sharing the photos on their social media pages, Marine Discovery Penzance said they managed to photograph the creature inbetween the wind and rain!
"We have seen mola mola, aka ocean sunfish, the last three trips we have been on.
"These large nearly circular fish start appearing in our waters by the end of May every year, though first sightings have been getting a touch earlier the last few years.
"Despite the cold temperatures and pouring rain, we have seen them right at the surface - despite their name they are not sunbathing!
"We've had strong southerly winds in the last week, which has brought up some warmer water from Biscay".
Marine Discovery Penzance
What do we know about ocean sunfish?
The ocean sunfish (Mola Mola) used to be considered the largest bony fish in the world.
They can grow up to 332.7cm in length and weight up to 1,320kg.
Recently, however, scientists have discovered that its close relative, the southern sunfish (Mola Alexandrini) is actually larger and heavier. One was recorded weighing a whopping 2,300kg.
The Ocean Sunfish feeds on jellyfish and salps, as well as a wide range of other marine animals.
"The ocean sunfish is an odd looking fish. It is huge, flat and circular - looking pretty much like a giant swimming head.
"Instead of a tail, it has a stiff fringe of skin (called a clavus), which it can move to act like a ship's rudder.
"It also has two small pectoral fins and an elongated dorsal fin and anal fin that look a bit like wings.
"Their scientific name of Mola means millstone in latin - and it's easy to see where it came from!
"They are often spotted resting on their sides at the surface of the sea, supposedly basking in the sunshine - which is where its English name of sunfish comes from.
"It has been suggested that this basking behaviour is to help the sunfish raise its body temperature after diving down to cooler waters to feed.
"The fin at the surface can easily be mistaken for a shark, but once up close they are unmistakeable".
The Wildlife Trusts