Community Corner

Mola Mola Spotted in Santa Monica Bay

The big fish delight passengers Friday aboard the Tradition in the Santa Monica Bay.

Anglers aboard the three-quarter-day fishing boat Tradition out of Redondo Beach's King Harbor encountered numerous mola mola—also known as "ocean sunfish"—in the Santa Monica Bay during a trip Friday, reported Phil Friedman of Philip Friedman Outdoors.

"As we were fishing, we noticed copious amounts of jellyfish in the water," Friedman said. "That is the favorite food of the ocean sunfish."

Mola mola are large, flat fish with tiny mouths and big eyes, and they can weigh up to 5,000 pounds, making them the world's heaviest bony fish, according to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. They can grow to 14-feet from the tips of their dorsal fin to their anal fins and as long as as 10 feet.

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They're found in almost all of the world's oceans and generally live in open waters, according to the aquarium.

Watch the video above to see the mola mola found in the Santa Monica Bay.

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