Moonfish: description and how it looks, size and weight, what it eats, where it lives
The moonfish is the name given to the mysterious aquatic organism that people are trying hard to better understand and study, despite the inaccessibility of its habitat. Now people have a rather superficial understanding of the moonfish, its habits and behavior patterns, it still remains an unsolved mystery. Perhaps we will be able to slightly open the veil of secrecy and describe the appearance and life features of this underwater inhabitant.
History and origin of the moonfish
The naturalist Carl Linnaeus first documented the moonfish in 1758, naming it Tetraodon mola and describing its features. This species belongs to the class of common pufferfish, to the suborder of moon-shaped fish. It is believed that it is the largest among all bony fish.
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Moonfish has a round white body with gray spots, which explains its name. Its gills do not have a top. This species is able to survive at different temperatures and at different depths, so it can be found in most oceans.
The Latin name for the moon fish is mola mola, which literally means "millstone" , and in Germany it is called the "head fish" .
This creature lives in the depths of the ocean and from time to time rises to the surface for a specific purpose - so that seagulls and other birds can land on it. Birds walk over its body, picking up parasites from under the skin, between the folds and under the fins. Having completed this procedure, the moonfish swims away to where it lives.
Looks like
The shape of the moon fish is wide and flattened, as if stretched upwards. As a result of evolution, she lost her tail fin.This happened because the pelvic bones failed to grow properly. The part that would have been occupied by the caudal fin is now filled by a fused dorsal and ventral fin located on the back. This medium-sized appendage is formed from flexible cartilage, which allows the sunfish to make very agile movements. Her spine has 16 to 18 vertebrae.
The absence of an external side on the gills gives them the appearance of typical openings, thereby facilitating the penetration of harmful bacteria and other parasitic organisms. This can cause significant harm to the he alth of the moonfish.
The moonfish has tiny eyes and a small mouth, which means that other marine life is not afraid of it, because they know that it cannot eat them. The sunfish does not have a swim bladder or lateral line, which allows aquatic inhabitants to sense approaching objects without seeing them. Therefore, it is easy to imperceptibly swim up to the moonfish from the back or from the sides.
This fish is white and gray with occasional brown hues, and some individuals may even have multi-colored patterns on the body. If the moon fish feels threatened, its color will become darker. By doing this, she tries to scare away the perceived threat.
She doesn't have scales, instead her body is covered with mucus which acts as a protective shield. As the species ages, bony protrusions may appear; this suggests that the scales were once present, but were lost over time through evolution.
Size
Typical fish length is 1.8-2m, but they can reach 2.3-2.5m in height. The largest size they can grow to is approximately 325 and 418 cm respectively and, given their impressive size, they weigh between 240 and 1100 kg. If evolutionary processes had not replaced a significant part of the bones with cartilage, the weight could be even more significant.
In 1966, a record-breaking sunfish was caught. She had an impressive weight - almost two and a half thousand kilograms and looked very impressive.
Mean lifetime
The lifespan of this creature in its natural habitat is unknown as it is difficult for researchers to observe a single specimen for a long period of time. However, by analyzing their growth rates, body structure and maturation, it has been estimated that males live up to 15 years on average, and females around 22-24 years.
In aquariums, people have the opportunity to watch moonfish for a long time. This species of marine life has a lifespan of about 10 years when in such an environment. Due to its content in an unnatural habitat, the researchers were able to analyze the growth rate. For every 24 hours, its size increases by about one millimeter, and from 18 to 485 grams is added to its weight.
Some scientists claim that the lifespan of females and males of this species can reach 100 years and 93 years respectively, despite the fact that there is no evidence to support this claim yet.
Habitat
These fish live in the oceans and inhabit regions with warm water temperatures. They swim at a depth of 45 to 250 m, but sometimes rise to a depth of 14 m from the surface.
Moonfish can be spotted in the Eastern Pacific, including around Chile, Canada and Peru. The Indian Ocean is also home to this species, where it lives in the eastern and western coastal regions. In Atlantic waters, it lives near South Africa and Scandinavia in the east and southern Argentina in the west.
Also seen in various other areas such as the Red Sea, Caribbean Sea and B altic Sea. However, it does not exist in any part of the Arctic Ocean that this creature prefers warm waters with temperatures above 12 degrees Celsius.
It's interesting to know: in the western part of the Atlantic there is a significant group of these fish, numbering about eighteen thousand individuals. The size of any single moonfish in this area does not exceed one meter.
Researchers have found that sunfish can dive to depths of up to 790m, although they often live 200-215m below the surface. If it is observed constantly swimming near the top of the water and moving like a somnambulist, then this is most likely a sign of a serious illness of the individual.
Diet
Moonfish's diet is determined by its environment. Due to her diminutive mouth, she mostly prefers soft foods, although there have been instances where she has consumed crustaceans. Generally, sunfish prefer eels, krill meat, small fish, aquatic vegetation, and other marine creatures that lack hard bones or shells.
Certain types of moonfish prey often fight back in an attempt to survive. For example, squids have been known to stand up to moonfish when they try to eat them, and sometimes even manage to scare them off with their aggressive tactics.
Young fish mainly consume jellyfish for food, but as they develop, this is no longer enough to satisfy their appetite, and they include other delicacies in their diet. Studies have shown that they dive to different depths while hunting, resulting in a variety of prey in their stomach throughout the day.
Because the moonfish lacks agility, so it cannot chase its prey for a long time. While feeding, she swallows large amounts of water along with any small creatures that swim nearby - they become her treat.
Lifestyle Features
Moonfish are prone to loneliness, gathering with others of their own kind only to breed. However, there are cases when these fish swam together and lived like this throughout their existence.
The sunfish stays deep in the water but will occasionally rise to the surface to soak up some sunlight and give the birds a chance to help them get rid of parasites. To do this, she lies on her side, exposing most of her body to the sun's rays.
The moonfish is a unique creature because it moves its fins in a rowing motion, unlike other fish, which move their fins horizontally from side to side. This allows the sunfish to navigate the water more easily, scooping up water with each stroke.
She moves very slowly, with an average speed of only 2.9 km/h, covering 21-26 km per day. The moon fish has a melancholic disposition and never behaves aggressively, so you can swim near it without fear of any harm. In addition, due to her weak mobility, she cannot attack anyone, and her jaws are too weak to bite through hard surfaces.
How to breed
Moonfish live individually, separately from each other and gather in groups only during the breeding season, which occurs in the summer. Females lay between 315 and 323 million eggs in one place.The adults then go on their way, leaving the juveniles to fend for themselves immediately. At hatching, the larvae measure 2.2-2.6 mm and begin to eat quickly to gain weight.
The larvae are very similar to fry of poisonous fish called fugu, which protects them from being eaten by many underwater predators.
Expert opinionZarechny Maxim ValerievichAgronomist with 12 years of experience. Our best gardening expert.Ask a QuestionThe best spawning grounds for moonfish are located in the south of Indian, Pacific and Atlantic waters. After the completion of the reproductive period, they return to their native habitat.Fish Enemies
Because she lives in the deep water column and is quite large, few aquatic creatures are ready to challenge her. As a result, few of the underwater inhabitants pose a threat to the moonfish. These include:
- Shark - they do not attack the moonfish, as they live at different depths, but if their paths cross, the shark will easily pierce the thick skin of the moonfish with its teeth. After the shark has had its fill, the scavengers come to feast on the remains.
- Killer whale. Although these mammals do not eat moonfish, if one of them is especially hungry or too old to chase other prey quickly, then she can make an exception and pounce on the moonfish.
- Sea lion - this predator will try to catch the moonfish when it swims to the surface of the water, biting off its fins, and then tries to break through the skin with its teeth.
People are the main opponents of this creature. Despite the fact that the creature is not eaten, many fishing fans cannot resist the temptation to catch it due to its unusual appearance, which makes it an attractive trophy.
What is the value
Moonfish are not considered edible in most parts of the world. Therefore, if the fisherman manages to catch such a fish, then most likely it will be paraded as a trophy, and not eaten.In addition, its meat is often considered unsafe, as it may contain parasite larvae and toxins.
However, in the countries of the Far East, moonfish are eaten, they believe that dishes can be cooked from all its parts of the body. The taste of the carcass is not particularly remarkable, but the characteristic physical appearance of this fish makes one consider its meat a gourmet dish. The preparation of this type of food requires the chef to perform certain actions to detoxify and eliminate any harmful substances present in the sunfish.
In Europe, the sale of moonfish meat is prohibited due to lack of proper processing, which can lead to poisoning. In America, moonfish are legal for sale, but do not attract many buyers because people understand that they carry the risk of infection.
Interesting facts
Moonfish are widespread and not at risk of extinction in the near future. Due to the absence of predators that absorb it, this species can reproduce without interruption.Even though it is captured in some places, it does not have a significant impact on the overall population.
It is not uncommon for these fish to jump onto the decks of pleasure yachts themselves, which leads to disruption of the vessels.
Constant ocean pollution is having a detrimental effect on fish. By sucking in large amounts of water for food, fish absorb plastic and other pollutants, which can lead to the growth of parasites inside them and cause numerous diseases.
