Scuba diver swims among one of the world's most bizarre fish

3 years ago
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Scuba diver swims among one of the world's most bizarre
This scuba diver cannot contain his joy when he finds himself among some of the world's most elusive and unusual fish. These are ocean sunfish, commonly called Mola Mola. They resemble giant heads with fins and no tails and they are extremely clumsy looking animals. They 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.

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