Speaking of aquatic oddities …
That’s a Mola mola, a bizarre ocean sunfish that’s becoming a common sight in California waters.
The picture is two years old, reports GrindTV, but its appearance on photographer Daniel Botelho‘s Facebook page last week has introduced the Internet to a largely unfamiliar sea creature.
Molas are huge, obviously – its size relative to the human diver isn’t a photographic trick. And they’re weird-looking. The one Botelho shot looks like a moon or a flattened Sprite can. Molas are the heaviest bony fish in the world, weighing an average of 2,200 pounds. Despite their bulk, they’re rather peckish; their mouths are relatively tiny, and they live primarily on jellyfish.
Botelho’s photo is a rare image of a mola in its natural environment. Apparently they’re skittish; they don’t like to be around humans. This one lingered long enough for Botelho to capture the amazing image above … which he mistakenly slipped into a folder of photos he didn’t intend to use.
Here's a more complete side view of a Mola mola. The picture was taken at the San Diego Aquarium and can be found on wikipedia.
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