Sunfish Caught in Loch Indaal

Mark Reynier caught this magnificent Sunfish while fishing off Wester Ellister early September. The ocean sunfish or common mola can grow to be the heaviest bony fish in the world with large specimens weighing over 1000 kilograms. The species is native to tropical and temperate waters all over the globe. It resembles a fish head without a tail, and its main body is flattened laterally. Sunfish can be as tall as they are long, when their dorsal and anal fins are extended. Sunfish live on a diet that consists mainly of jellyfish. As this diet is nutritionally poor, they consume large amounts in order to develop and maintain their great bulk. Females of the species can produce more eggs than any other known vertebrate. Sunfish are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, including Japan and Taiwan, but sale of their flesh is banned in the European Union as it is considered an endangered species. This one was safely returned to the sea to carry on with its useful role of reducing the local jellyfish population.

This story was published with kind permission from The Ileach - Community Newspaper of the year.