{"id":63722,"date":"2022-04-16T11:00:01","date_gmt":"2022-04-16T11:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/"},"modified":"2022-04-16T11:00:01","modified_gmt":"2022-04-16T11:00:01","slug":"what-is-the-biggest-sunfish","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the biggest sunfish?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_17 counter-hierarchy counter-decimal ez-toc-grey\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"display: none;\"><i class=\"ez-toc-glyphicon ez-toc-icon-toggle\"><\/i><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class=\"ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1\"><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#What_is_the_biggest_sunfish\" title=\"What is the biggest sunfish?\">What is the biggest sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Why_is_it_called_sunfish\" title=\"Why is it called sunfish?\">Why is it called sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#How_do_sunfish_not_get_eaten\" title=\"How do sunfish not get eaten?\">How do sunfish not get eaten?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Why_are_sunfish_useless\" title=\"Why are sunfish useless?\">Why are sunfish useless?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#What_is_the_largest_sunfish\" title=\"What is the largest sunfish?\">What is the largest sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#How_large_can_a_sunfish_get\" title=\"How large can a sunfish get?\">How large can a sunfish get?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#What_makes_a_sunfish_a_sunfish\" title=\"What makes a sunfish a sunfish?\">What makes a sunfish a sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Which_fish_is_called_sunfish\" title=\"Which fish is called sunfish?\">Which fish is called sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#What_is_the_point_of_a_sunfish\" title=\"What is the point of a sunfish?\">What is the point of a sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Why_are_fish_not_eating\" title=\"Why are fish not eating?\">Why are fish not eating?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Can_fish_go_without_eating\" title=\"Can fish go without eating?\">Can fish go without eating?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Why_did_my_fish_get_eaten\" title=\"Why did my fish get eaten?\">Why did my fish get eaten?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Do_fish_ever_eat\" title=\"Do fish ever eat?\">Do fish ever eat?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Whats_the_point_of_sunfish\" title=\"What&#8217;s the point of sunfish?\">What&#8217;s the point of sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Why_are_sunfish_so_weird\" title=\"Why are sunfish so weird?\">Why are sunfish so weird?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Is_the_mola_mola_useless\" title=\"Is the mola mola useless?\">Is the mola mola useless?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#What_is_the_largest_freshwater_sunfish\" title=\"What is the largest freshwater sunfish?\">What is the largest freshwater sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#How_big_is_the_biggest_sunfish\" title=\"How big is the biggest sunfish?\">How big is the biggest sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#What_sunfish_gets_the_biggest\" title=\"What sunfish gets the biggest?\">What sunfish gets the biggest?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Why_are_they_called_sunfish\" title=\"Why are they called sunfish?\">Why are they called sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#What_is_special_about_a_sunfish\" title=\"What is special about a sunfish?\">What is special about a sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#What_are_the_physical_characteristics_of_a_sunfish\" title=\"What are the physical characteristics of a sunfish?\">What are the physical characteristics of a sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Can_you_eat_a_sunfish\" title=\"Can you eat a sunfish?\">Can you eat a sunfish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Is_the_sunfish_the_biggest_fish\" title=\"Is the sunfish the biggest fish?\">Is the sunfish the biggest fish?<\/a><\/li><li class=\"ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2\"><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/what-is-the-biggest-sunfish\/#Why_is_the_sunfish_so_useless\" title=\"Why is the sunfish so useless?\">Why is the sunfish so useless?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_biggest_sunfish\"><\/span>What is the biggest sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>The mola are the heaviest of all the bony fish, with large specimens reaching 14 feet vertically and 10 feet horizontally and weighing nearly 5,000 pounds.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_it_called_sunfish\"><\/span>Why is it called sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Share. The ocean sunfish is a very large, oddly shaped fish that gets its name <b>from his habit of floating on its side, at the sea surface, warming itself in the sun<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_sunfish_not_get_eaten\"><\/span>How do sunfish not get eaten?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The sunfish sees these as jellyfish and tries to eat them. <b>The bag can become stuck in their throats or their stomachs which can prevent them from eating.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_are_sunfish_useless\"><\/span>Why are sunfish useless?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>They included: <b>the sunfishs useless heavy body which can weigh up to 2,250kg (5,000 pounds), their lack of swim bladders (which fish generally need to control their buoyancy so that they dont rise to the oceans surface), and the fact that theyre not even considered food by predators, which instead choose to chew <\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_largest_sunfish\"><\/span>What is the largest sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>The mola are the heaviest of all the bony fish, with large specimens reaching 14 feet vertically and 10 feet horizontally and weighing nearly 5,000 pounds.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_large_can_a_sunfish_get\"><\/span>How large can a sunfish get?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fames current all-tackle redear record, caught by Amos Gay in South Carolina back in November of 1998, stands at <b>5 pounds, 7 ounces.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_makes_a_sunfish_a_sunfish\"><\/span>What makes a sunfish a sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>They included: <b>the sunfishs useless heavy body which can weigh up to 2,250kg (5,000 pounds), their lack of swim bladders (which fish generally need to control their buoyancy so that they dont rise to the oceans surface), and the fact that theyre not even considered food by predators, which instead choose to chew <\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_fish_is_called_sunfish\"><\/span>Which fish is called sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Unique Traits. Sunfish, or mola, develop their truncated, bullet-like shape because <b>the back fin which they are born with simply never grows. Instead, it folds into itself as the enormous creature matures, creating a rounded rudder called a clavus.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_point_of_a_sunfish\"><\/span>What is the point of a sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>mola, also called ocean sunfish or headfish, <b>any of six species of oceanic fishes of the family Molidae.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_are_fish_not_eating\"><\/span>Why are fish not eating?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>As such, fish can lose their appetite if there is a build up of fish wastes (e.g. ammonia, nitrite or nitrate), if the water temperature is too low or too high, if the dissolved oxygen is low, if the dissolved carbon dioxide is high, if the pH is wrong and if there are toxins in the water.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_fish_go_without_eating\"><\/span>Can fish go without eating?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Healthy adult fish can go for a week or two without feeding. However, young fish dont have the fat stores of adult fish and they cannot go without eating very long. That doesnt mean you should routinely skip feedings, but your fish can safely be left without food over a long holiday weekend.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_did_my_fish_get_eaten\"><\/span>Why did my fish get eaten?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Why Do Fish Eat Other Fish? Fish are opportunistic, just like other living creatures. <b>If food presents itself in any form, they will eat it. Sure, that food may have been their best swimming buddy the day before, but today hes lunch.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_fish_ever_eat\"><\/span>Do fish ever eat?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Fish eat a wide variety of things; however, their specific diet depends on their natural environment, the eco-system in which they live, and a host of other reasons. Some fish are sluggish scavengers and will eat whatever they come across, whereas other fishs diets consist solely of eating other fish.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Whats_the_point_of_sunfish\"><\/span>What&#8217;s the point of sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>mola solicits cleaning help from reef fishes. By basking on its side at the surface, the sunfish also <b>allows seabirds to feed on parasites from its skin. Sunfish have been reported to breach, clearing the surface by approximately 3 m (10 ft), in an apparent effort to dislodge embedded parasites.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_are_sunfish_so_weird\"><\/span>Why are sunfish so weird?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Unique Traits. Sunfish, or mola, <b>develop their truncated, bullet-like shape because the back fin which they are born with simply never grows. Instead, it folds into itself as the enormous creature matures, creating a rounded rudder called a clavus.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_the_mola_mola_useless\"><\/span>Is the mola mola useless?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>They have earned a reputation as being some of the weirdest looking marine life in the world, and <b>have even been called the most useless creature on earth, but actually Mola Molas are much more capable and impressive than you think.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_largest_freshwater_sunfish\"><\/span>What is the largest freshwater sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>The mola are the heaviest of all the bony fish, with large specimens reaching 14 feet vertically and 10 feet horizontally and weighing nearly 5,000 pounds.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_big_is_the_biggest_sunfish\"><\/span>How big is the biggest sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>14 feet vertically<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_sunfish_gets_the_biggest\"><\/span>What sunfish gets the biggest?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Size. The <b>redear sunfish can become rather large, reaching weights over 4 pounds, though it averages under half a pound and about 9 inches.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_are_they_called_sunfish\"><\/span>Why are they called sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The ocean sunfish is a very large, oddly shaped fish that gets its name <b>from his habit of floating on its side, at the sea surface, warming itself in the sun. This species has no tail and swims with its very large dorsal and anal fins.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_special_about_a_sunfish\"><\/span>What is special about a sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Ocean sunfish <b>go through the most extreme size growth of any vertebrate. Newly hatched sunfish larvae are only 2.5 mm long and weigh a fraction of a gram. By adulthood, they could grow more than 60 million times their birth size. Unlike most fish, sunfish pass through two distinct larval phases.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_are_the_physical_characteristics_of_a_sunfish\"><\/span>What are the physical characteristics of a sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Description of the Sunfish This fish has <b>a large flattened body, shaped almost like a giant guitar pick. The pointed end of the body is the front, and the wider end is the tail. It has small pectoral fins, but its dorsal and anal fins are very long and narrow. These fins make the sunfish as tall as it is long.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_you_eat_a_sunfish\"><\/span>Can you eat a sunfish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Share. The ocean sunfish is a very large, oddly shaped fish that gets its name <b>from his habit of floating on its side, at the sea surface, warming itself in the sun<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Is_the_sunfish_the_biggest_fish\"><\/span>Is the sunfish the biggest fish?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><b>Sunfish are safe to eat and can be consumed regularly. Many guidelines recommend that women who may become pregnant and children under the age of 15 limit consumption of sunfish to once each week.<\/b><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_the_sunfish_so_useless\"><\/span>Why is the sunfish so useless?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>They included: the sunfishs useless heavy body which can weigh up to 2,250kg (5,000 pounds), <b>their lack of swim bladders (which fish generally need to control their buoyancy so that they dont rise to the oceans surface), and the fact that theyre not even considered food by predators, which instead choose to chew <\/b><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Table of Contents What is the biggest sunfish?Why is it called sunfish?How do sunfish not get eaten?Why are sunfish useless?What is the largest sunfish?How large can a sunfish get?What makes a sunfish a sunfish?Which fish is called sunfish?What is the point of a sunfish?Why are fish not eating?Can fish go without eating?Why did my fish&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"spay_email":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63722"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=63722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63722\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalshelterz.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}