Ocean Sunfish Washes Ashore at Sunset Beach near Gearhart

Seaside Aquarium reported yesterday August 18, 2024 that a relatively small Mola mola (Sunfish) washed ashore 1/2 mile south of the Sunset Beach approach. While this fish is only a little over five feet, Mola molas or ocean sunfish can get up to 10 feet and weigh as much as 5,000 pounds.
Some of you may remember the Mola tecta, the Hoodwinker Sunfish, that washed ashore just north of the Gearhart beach approach back in June. So, what is the difference?
There are three different species of sunfish in the genus Mola: Mola mola, Mola tecta, and Mola alexandrini. All three can be found all over the globe and are widely distributed throughout the world’s oceans, except for the polar regions.
The newest species to join the genus Mola was the Mola tecta, which was just recently discovered in 2017. Only a few specimens have been examined and even fewer sampled. So, when the Mola tecta washed ashore it caused quite a stir.

Visually the difference includes a T-shaped pattern on the clavus, the thick rudder-like structure at the rear of the fish also known as its steering fin on the Mola tecta. Mola tectas also do not get quite as big as the Mola mola, reaching only 7.9 feet and weighing 4,000 pounds.