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Date Published: 21/10/2021
ARCHIVED - Ceuta fishermen catch colossal sunfish
It is the biggest sunfish ever found off the coast of Spain
A tuna fishing boat operating off the Mediterranean coast of Ceuta captured an enormous sunfish, the biggest that’s ever been found in the waters of the Spanish enclave. The specimen somehow found its way into their nets and before extracting DNA, experts measured the fish and found that it was three metres from mouth to tail and 3.20 metres wide – easily bigger than a human. The fishermen attempted to weigh the sunfish, but it threatened to break the scales, which only went up to 1,000 kilos.
Sunfish are the heaviest of all the bony fish on the planet and very few have been sighted in Spanish waters; this specimen is by far the largest ever discovered.
The coast off of the north African city of Ceuta is known for its abundance of marine life and loggerhead and green turtles, whales and dolphins are regularly spotted by divers. Nets used by fishermen often capture sunfish and they are immediately returned to the ocean, as was the case with this giant.
🟠Nos llegan más imágenes del pez luna que han estudiado investigadores de la US âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/HJul9Bg3oU
— unisevilla (@unisevilla) October 15, 2021
🌊El ejemplar, de más de 1.000 kg, fue localizado en aguas de Ceuta atrapado en las redes de una almadraba. Pudo ser liberado y devuelto al mar. pic.twitter.com/bilvKx7Wn3
Diver Sergio Guzman, who was tasked with inspecting the traps and discovered the mammoth fish, explained that he had found a 500-kilo specimen a couple of years ago, but the sheer size of this one was just “incredible”.
The sunfish (Mola mola) is classified as a vulnerable species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and its population is rapidly declining. It can be found in temperate waters across the globe but is not fit for consumption as it can contain many toxins.
Images: Station of Marine Biology of the Strait of the University of Seville (Ceuta)
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