Definition
A large marine fish of the family Molidae, characterized by a flattened, circular body shape and often weighing over a ton, making it one of the heaviest bony fish in the ocean. Despite its massive size, the sunfish feeds primarily on jellyfish and has a relatively small mouth and gentle demeanor.
Example Usage
The aquarium had to construct a special tank to accommodate the massive sunfish they rescued from the coast.
Origin
Named for their habit of surfacing and lying on their sides in the sun, which early observers believed was a form of sunbathing or basking.
Fun Fact
Sunfish can lay up to 300 million eggs at once, the highest number of any vertebrate, yet their population remains stable due to high mortality rates in juvenile fish.
Related Terms
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