Sunfish are often described as looking like large heads with flattened faces, giving them a goofy appearance. However, their unique anatomy sets them apart as well.
These fish swim using their long dorsal and anal fins in place of a tail. Their rear end features a rudder-like appendage called the clavus for steering. Sunfish can grow up to 3 meters in length and weigh over 2,000 kg, making them the heaviest teleosts in the world.
The only fish heavier than sunfish belong to a group called Chondrichthyes, with curved cartilage skeletons. Sunfish, also known as teleosts, derive their scientific name from their resemblance to millstones.
They begin as small larvae but quickly undergo rapid growth, gaining 1 kg per day. Sunfish are closely related to pufferfish but do not inflate their bodies like them as they grow.
Adult sunfish use their large bodies for defense and are known to bask on the sea surface. Despite their slow swimming style, researchers have discovered that sunfish engage in active deep-sea dives to hunt jellyfish.
Another species, the sunfish (Mola alexandrini), resembles the common sunfish but was recently discovered off the shores of New Zealand.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com
