Giant mola mola are nature's most bizarre & mysterious animals

Mola mola are fascinating and bizarre giants of the ocean, yet we know very little about them. They are one of the most elusive and mysterious of the ocean's creatures. They spend most of their time at depths where there is less light and less food. For scuba divers, venturing below 30m (100 feet) comes with complications and the time that they are able to spend at these depths is limited.
Mola mola are very shy creatures and it is difficult for people to see these fish in their natural environment.Show more

Also called ocean sunfish, they have many names. People refer to them as "nature's mistake" and "the fish that shouldn't be". Their structure looks like a giant head with two fins. In truth, mola mola have a head and a body, and although they do possess a tail, it has evolved to become almost non functional.

They are extremely clumsy looking animals and generally very slow moving.

Mola mola drift slowly on the current, although they can actually swim at slow speeds to move throughout the day. They are also capable of impressive speeds for very short distances to avoid predators.

Small Mola Mola are often prey to a variety of sharks, tuna, sea lions, and many types of large fish, but once they reach full size, their thinck skin makes them difficult to eat.

Mola Mola can reach a size of 3.3m (more than 10 feet) in length and a mass of more than 2300kg (5,000lbs). Once they reach this size, only orcas, large sharks, and sea lions pose a threat to them. They are also capable of diving deep to avoid predators.

The Mola Moila preys on small fish, fish eggs, squid, and other small marine life. They often seek food at deeper temperatures which causes them to lose a significant amount of body heat. It is believed that this why they can often be seen lying flat on the surface, basking in the sun.

Mola Mola lay more eggs than any other fish, with a mature female laying as many as 300,000,000 at one time.

These fish are a rare sight for scuba divers and this man was thrilled to be swimming among a group of these strange animals that seemed unconcerned with his presence. These fish were found swimming around the remote islands of the Galapagos.