There is a dark shape in the middle of the ocean that looks like a giant flat beach ball with a shark’s fin. What is this unusual creature? It is a fish known as the Mola. It is quite obvious; this fish does not resemble a typical fish. This amazing animal has a very distinctive body. Imagine you are scuba diving in the ocean. You notice the various creatures swimming past you. Most of these creatures are swimming in a straight path. Then, you observe the Mola. This strange creature is swimming on a slant. This bizarre fish has many odd behaviors. Have you ever heard of a fish jumping 10 feet into the air to just get rid of pesky parasites? The Mola, also known as the Ocean Sunfish, is the largest bony fish. This marvelous sea creature can grow up to 14 feet long and 10 feet tall. This is truly remarkable because when the Mola hatches it is only 1/10 of an inch long. Also, this animal can weigh up to 5,000 pounds. That is more than a small truck! Although, the average Mola only weighs 2,200 pounds. The Ocean Sunfish has a body that looks much different than an average fish. This unique animal has a tall dorsal fin and is often mistaken for a shark. Instead of a tail fin, the Mola has a clavus. This clavus works like a rudder and resembles a smashed, flat pancake. The Mola has some unique swimming habits. It swims on a slant and appears to be swimming sideways. The Mola flaps its top and bottom fins and uses it clavus to steer. This fascinating fish is not known for being a fast swimmer. It only swims 2 miles per hour. The Ocean Sunfish will travel long distances to find food, especially its favorite treat jellyfish. Also, the Mola can dive down to depths of 2,600 feet. After swimming in the cold deep water, this fish will go near the surface of the water and sunbathe. The Mola may spend half of the day enjoying the warm sunshine. This amazing creature has some interesting behaviors. The Mola has teeth that resembles a parrot’s beak. As a result, it is unable to swallow its food whole. Instead it repeatedly spits out the food and sucks it back in. This breaks up the food into smaller pieces. The Ocean Sunfish’s silvery rough skin is often infected by parasites. The Mola has an unusual way to get rid of these troublesome pests. The fish will swim to the surface of the water and lay on its side. Then, birds will come and eat off the annoying parasites. When the birds are finished, the Mola turns over. Then, the birds eat the pests on the other side. Or, the Mola may try another approach to get rid of the parasites. The Mola can jump out of the water up to 10 feet. Those bothersome pests are knocked off when the Ocean Sunfish smacks back down on the water. The Mola is a remarkable creature that is extremely different from a typical fish. Its huge body and tall dorsal fin set it apart from most fish. Furthermore, the Ocean Sunfish’s unique swimming habits and unusual behaviors differ from other fish. The Mola can be found in tropical and temperate oceans all over the world. On your next visit to the ocean, you may spot this marvelous animal.