Mola alexandrini (Ranzani, 1839)
Bumphead sunfish
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Mola alexandrini
Picture by Nyegaard, M.
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Picture by Nyegaard, M.
Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Teleostei (teleosts) > Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) > Molidae (Molas or Ocean Sunfishes)
Etymology: Mola: Latin, mola, -ae = stone mill; because of the shape of this fish (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Antonio Alessandrini (1786–1861) was an Italian physician and anatomist, (Ranzini latinized his name). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Etymology: Mola: Latin, mola, -ae = stone mill; because of the shape of this fish (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Antonio Alessandrini (1786–1861) was an Italian physician and anatomist, (Ranzini latinized his name). [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology
Marine; pelagic-oceanic; depth range 0 - 480 m (Ref. 106682). Subtropical
Distribution Territories | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri
Circumglobal: widely distributed in the world’s oceans except for the polar regions.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 330 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 132224); max. published weight: 2.3 t (Ref. 117083)
Max length : 330 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 132224); max. published weight: 2.3 t (Ref. 117083)
Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics
This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: head profile with bump (specimens >162.5 cm TL); chin with enlarged bump (>135.0 cm TL); rectangular body scales on the middle region of the body (shape developing with age, final shape not established on specimens <70.0 cm TL, but established on those >162.5 cm TL; rounded clavus (usually not wavy and without indents), supported by 14-24 (mode 17) clavus fn rays and 8-15 (12) ossicles (Ref. 117083).
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.
Body shape (shape guide): short and / or deep; Cross section: compressed.
This species is presumed to prefer warmer water temperatures than Mola mola (in Sanriku coast of Japan, this species occur at sea surface temperatures of 16.8-25.6°C, average 19.9°C (vs. 11.5-25.6°C, average 17.7°C when Mola mola appeared in the area). The maximum recorded weight of 2,300 kg applies to a 272 cm TL female caught off the coast of Kamogawa, Japan by a set net (Ref. 117083).
Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Main reference
Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators
Heemstra, P.C., 1986. Molidae. p. 907-908. In M.M. Smith and P.C. Heemstra (eds.) Smiths' sea fishes. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. (Ref. 4424)
CITES
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |
More information
Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Food rations
Predators
Ecology
Ecology
Ecology
Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Recruitment
Abundance
Life cycle
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Reproduction
Maturity
Maturity/Gills rel.
Fecundity
Spawning
Spawning aggregations
Eggs
Egg development
Larvae
Larval dynamics
Anatomy
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Gill area
Brain
Otolith
Physiology
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Body composition
Nutrients
Oxygen consumption
Swimming type
Swimming speed
Visual pigments
Fish sound
Diseases & Parasites
Toxicity (LC50s)
Genetics
Genome
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetic Diversity
Genome
Genetics
Heterozygosity
Heritability
Genetic Diversity
Human related
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Aquaculture systems
Aquaculture profiles
Strains
Ciguatera cases
Stamps, coins, misc.
Tools
E-book | Field guide | Identification keys | Length-frequency wizard | Life-history tool | Point map |
Catch-MSY |
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | National databases | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoological Record
Estimates based on models
|
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804) |
PD50 = 0.6562 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. |
| Bayesian length-weight | a=0.02291 (0.01103 - 0.04759), b=3.06 (2.86 - 3.26), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref. 93245). |
|
Trophic level (Ref. 69278) |
3.8 ±0.6 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives |
|
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153) |
Very high vulnerability (82 of 100). 🛈 |