June 6, 2024

Report Details

I am submitting this dispatch report to document the presence of the deceased Hoodwinker Mola fish that washed up on Gearhart beach on June 3rd, 2024, making local news and intriguing beach visitors who flocked to this mile by foot and by vehicle to see this unusual find. Many fascinated beach-goers were asking "what is it?" and "is it dead?" Hoodwinker mola, or Mola tecta (tecta is latin for hidden or disguised), is also known as colloquially as the bump-head sunfish or the ocean sunfish. In French, ocean sunfish are referred to as "poisson lune" which means "moon fish," a fitting moniker because of its large, round body shape. According to the Australian Museum, it can reach lengths of over 3 meters with a mass of 2,000 kg. It as formally identified as a novel species in 2017 by Professor Marianne Nyegaard. This individual was immense, approximately 7.3 feet; Mola are the largest bony fish globally, with a geographic distribution off the California coast in the United States (one individual was found washed up on the shores of Alaska), as well in the oceans near Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, and Peru. They live in both tropical and temperate waters. With its circular shape and lack of a caudal fin, these fish are distinctive in morphology. According to the Australian Museum, key identifying features of note for Mola tecta included the rounded clavus edge, 15-17 clavus fin rays, and raised conical body scales. Sunfish utilize different depths of the water column, and are capable of deep-sea dives, depending on seasonality, which impacts prey abundance and availability (salps and bioluminescent siphonophores). It was a special treat to be able to photograph and appreciate the unique morphology and immense size of this rare Mola tecta, and I am wondering how/why this individual died? This week, the Seaside Aquarium collected tissue samples, conducted measurements (this specimen may be the largest one ever sampled for science), and sent photographs of the find to Professor Marianne Nyegaard. Many beach visitors stopped briefly to take photographs, with and of, this amazing discovery. A series of my photographs are attached to this dispatch report below. It is important to remember to be respectful when viewing dead animals on the beach, including not touching or manipulating the specimen.