An ocean sunfish (Mola mola) has been caught for the first time off Tristan da Cunha.

Giant Sunfish caught off Tristan on 2nd June 2016

Report and photos from Carlene Glass-Green

Joe, Keith, Grant and Jason Green caught a large sunfish when out fishing on 2nd June. The photos show Jason (left) and Justin (right) with the fish. Justin is over 6ft tall so the fish must be approx. 1 metre long.

The sunfish is likely to be an ocean sunfish or common mola Mola mola, which is the largest known bony fish in the world and lives on a diet mainly of jelly fish. This may be the first recorded finding of an ocean sunfish in Tristan waters.

A much smaller Slender Sunfish,  Ranzania laevis also rare fish in Tristan waters, was discovered on a Tristan beach by Mark Swain in March 2015 - see Wild News 2015 for details.