Today’s FFF is on the Ocean Sunfish, also called the Mola Mola (our favorite name for it).
You might not call this fish freaky, but its shape is the most unusual fish-like shape of any fish I’ve ever seen. Here are some quick facts about the Ocean Sunfish:
Mola Mola is the most commonly seen Ocean Sunfish, and is called the Common or round-tailed Mola. Other varieties include Masturus lanceolatus (sharp-tailed Mola) and Ranzania leavis (slender Mola).
Its “Ocean Sunfish” name comes from its tendency to “lie” atop the waves and appear to be sunbathing.
It has sandpaper-like skin and is opalescent silver color.
It’s the heaviest of all bony fish, weighing about one ton when fully grown, and it’s the biggest jelly-muncher in the ocean (see next fact).
There’s an official site to go to here to check out a map of Mola sightings, read research, get more facts and even adopt an Ocean Sunfish for yourself!
Alexa’s freak fest of choice for this week is the Barreleye fish. First, watch these still shots:
Now, you can watch and learn about this this crazy fish, courtesy of scientists at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI). This next video was shot in the deep waters off the coast of central California by a remotely operated vehicle or ROV.
This is yet another amazing creature you won’t believe exists, and this unmanned robot camera brings it to you in all its glory. As the video size is too large for our O4E viewing space on the blog, please follow this link:
Whew, today might be the FREAKIEST Fish Friday yet. That is…until next week.
We’ve done Top Ten Ugliest, but we haven’t rocked out while freaking out to a lineup like this, ever.
Check it out:
Got the shivers yet?
Want to know more about these awesomely freaky wonders of nature?
We do, too.
TELL US WHO FREAKS YOU OUT AND GET YOURSELF ON O4E!!
Comment below and tell us your fave freaky ocean creature from this video, and if you are the first to claim it, we’ll give YOU the opportunity to write your own guest blog post all about it on an upcoming Freaky Fish Friday! It’s fun, and we’ll help you as much or as little as you like! (Kids: get parental permission first, please!)
Dive in - the water is perfect, and the ocean's wonders await you. On O4E, we have fun, we educate and we ask our readers to think of and act for the future of the world's oceans. Plus, it's by a 10 year-old (with a little help from her journalist mom).
