The name “sunfish” is of Latin origin and means “milestone,” referring to the flat, circular body of this fish, which is known to drift along the ocean’s surface, a move some scientists lightly refer to as “sunbathing.”
But Nygard said the activity serves an important purpose: capturing jellyfish and other gelatinous creatures for prey.
When hunting, sunfish dive deep into cooler waters. Their bodies cannot regulate their body temperature efficiently, so they use the sun to warm themselves. While the fish lie on the surface, birds clean them by eating parasites from their skin.
Nyegaard said there are a few features that distinguish the giant sunfish from the giant sunfish: The giant sunfish’s skin becomes wrinkly as it grows, while the sunfish’s skin is always perfectly smooth.
Unlike normal fish, which have tails, sunfish have wings that are wavy and have a bony structure. The sunfish’s wings are divided into two parts, each of which can move independently.
“We don’t yet know why the two species need different rear structures,” Nygard says, adding that one theory is that the two-part flap could be for maneuvering or agility purposes.
Nygard said sunfish in general remain a mystery to scientists: There are five sunfish species in total, including the hoodwinker, and it’s unclear whether they can or will coexist in the same place.
It’s also unclear whether the hoodwinkers of Australia and New Zealand are related to those in the Pacific Northwest and have somehow migrated across the equator, Nygard said.
Since its discovery, people have been flocking to Gearhart Beach to see the lone hooded winker on the sand.
“This isn’t the first time this has been washed ashore, but it is the largest one to have been washed ashore,” said Tierney Thys, a marine biologist at the California Academy of Sciences.
“Strandings like this remind us that humans live on just 1 percent of the available habitable space on this vast ocean planet,” she said. “Encountering these amazing creatures is humbling and inspiring, and a powerful reminder that we still have much to learn.”
Source: www.nbcnews.com
