900-pound ocean sunfish found dead on Cape Cod beach
Conservationists said the adult female became stranded in shallow water while attempting to migrate south.
A fish leaped through the open window of a passing truck at Cahills Crossing in Australia’s Kakadu National Park on July 8. The driver later held up the unexpected passenger as onlookers cheered.
A 900-pound ocean sunfish was found dead this week after washing up on the shore of a Cape Cod beach.
The New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance (NECWA), a volunteer non-profit based in southeastern Massachusetts, discovered the carcass at the mouth of Herring River in Wellfleet, a town on the Outer Cape in Barnstable County. The organization said the size of the female sunfish indicated she was an adult, noting that her ovary alone weighed 13.2 pounds.
“So sad to see that she died but her death is not in vain,” NECWA wrote in a Facebook post about the finding. “We just wish we knew about her before she stranded and died.”
The conservation group explained that these healthy fish become trapped in Cape Cod Bay while trying to navigate south to warmer areas for the winter. They get funneled into Wellfleet Harbor, which NECWA described as a “death trap” for sunfish and other species.
“Ocean Sunfish are pelagic fish (ocean dwellers) and have never experienced shallow water and tides,” the organization explained. “If they end up in a bad area, they will strand and die, like this beautiful female.”
An Ocean Sunfish (mola mola) swims to the surface during the second day of racing in the challenger selection series of the Louis Vuitton Cup in Valencia, April 17, 2007. (Photo by JOSE JORDAN/AFP via Getty Images)
Experts added that the number of sunfish has risen significantly since 2007, possibly due to climate change and warming waters in New England.
NECWA noted that the photos, tissues and data collected from this fish will be shared with researchers around the world to help them understand ocean sunfish ecology and biology. The tide will carry her out since her carcass was found below the high tide, and she is too heavy to move.
Ocean sunfish, also known as Mola mola, are described as “the ocean’s gentle giant,” according to Smithsonian Ocean. These fish can reach up to 3 meters (9.8 feet) in length and can weigh more than 2,000 kilograms (about 4,400 pounds), about as much as a large car. Due to threats such as becoming entangled in fishing gear and ingesting plastic, Mola mola are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
People are encouraged to report both live and dead ocean sunfish to NECWA’s rescue hotline at 508-566-0009.
Report a Typo
