The Hoodwinker is a new species of sunfish that has been
discovered in an interesting way. Sunfish are the largest heaviest known bony
fish in the world. Adult fish can weigh anywhere from 250 to 1000 kg reaching lengths of 11 feet long. Sunfish are uniquely known for the back fin they
are born with that never grows. This fin instead folds into its self as the fish
grows creating a clavus or a rounded rubber for the species.
Sunfish can be found frequently in tropical and temperate waters in the oceans of the world. Spending their time in deep waters scavenging for
jellyfish is their main prey consumption. They also eat smaller fish and a large
number of zooplankton. The teeth of a sunfish are somewhat fused
together causing a beak like structure. The fish is not able to fully close their mouth.
Sunfish may also spend their time near surface waters taking in
the sunlight. When near the surface, sunfish are commonly mistaken for sharks when
their dorsal fins are above the water. As well as coming to the surface to
sunbath, sunfish come to the surface to deal with the parasites infested in
their skin. The sunfish take advantage of the feeder fish at the surface to
remove the parasites. Seagulls will also scrap the parasites off the fish while
they lay on their side close to the surface of the water.
The Hoodwinker species was discovered before it was spotted.
Researchers were analyzing large numbers of DNA samples from sunfish. The
genetic sequencing showed that there were four separate species but only three
of the species were known: Masturus lanceolatus, Mola mola, Mola ramsayi, and
the unidentified DNA. The hunt for finding the new species then began.
The hunt for the new species was not an easy task for the fact
that all sunfish species look similar. The researchers started their hunt
differently by looking on social media for different photos of sunfish
that have been posted and seeing if they're any identifications in photos of a
different species. Observers from Australia and New Zealand caught a sunfish
within a net receiving a photo and a genetic sample to give the
researchers.
The photo of this fish had a small structure on the back fin that
was never spotted before on other sunfish. Later on at the same beach there were
four sunfish stranded. The research team was notified of the fish and was on
their way to the site to observer the stranded fish. The fish on the island turned out
to be exactly what the researchers had been looking for, the hoodwinker, matching
the DNA of the unknown within the lab. The Hoodwinker was then
properly named the Mola teca, for the species that was hiding in plain have
site for many years.
Figure: Hoodwinker Sunfish found stranded
Hookwinker, Mola teca, are not known to grow bumps on their body, instead their body sizes stay around the same from juveniles to adults. Another
distinctive factor is that their back fins are separated into two half's by a
small piece of skin, into an upper and lower half. The Hoodwinker is mostly
known to be found in colder waters. Not a tremendous amount of details of the
species is known for the fact the sunfish are found in an area that is hard to
reach by humans.
Murdoch University ( 2017). The four-year treasure hunt for the hoodwinker sunfish. Retrieved from 5https://theconversation.com/the-four-year-treasure-hunt-for-the-hoodwinker-sunfish-81265
National Geographic (2018). Ocean Sunfish. Retrieved from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/o/ocean-sunfish/
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/o/ocean-sunfish/
I have always found Sunfish interesting but you never really hear much about them unless its talk about how large they are. It is nice to see people taking more of an interest. In the article was there any specific reason that this new species would be found in colder waters while the other species seem to favor warm waters and sun spots?
ReplyDeleteWhen you said "the Hoodwinker was discovered before it was seen", how was this the case? Did Field researchers collect the DNA samples from Sunfishes they believed to be only three species then send the samples to the lab?
ReplyDeleteI too think the sunfish is a very interesting fish. It is weird to how they are shaped, with no tail or much of a caudal fin. I did not realize they went up to the surface waters to bathe in the sun, I always thought they got their name from their body shape.
I agree that sunfish are very interesting. I found how the seagulls dealt with the sunfish's parasites by scraping them off interesting. The sunfish will sometimes breach the surface to shake off parasites and can go to approximately 10 feet into the air.
ReplyDeleteThank You for posting this blog! This is really neat! I was unaware that sunfish eat jellyfish. I think that it is amazing that fish can reach lengths of eleven feet long! Personally, when I was a kid and saw pictures of people catching fish that long, I was not sure if it was fact or fiction. How many species of fish (other than the sunfish) can reach lengths of that long? Also, why do sunfish absorb sunlight from the coast?
ReplyDeleteWhen I was working at USC's research station on Catalina Island during graduate school someone dropped of a sunfish that had been hit by a boat (since the swim at the surface). We tried nursing it back to health in a holding tank but the laceration had cut through its body cavity.
ReplyDelete