PORTLAND, Ore. — A "relatively small" 5-foot sunfish washed ashore about a half mile south of Sunset Beach, just of north of Seaside in Oregon.
According to Seaside Aquarium, the ocean sunfish, also known as a Mola mola, can get up to 10 feet and weigh as much as 5,000 pounds. The sunfish that washed ashore over the weekend, while still big for human standards, is considered among sunfishes as relatively small.
In June, a more rare 7.3-foot sunfish washed ashore near Gearhart. The hoodwinker sunfish, or Mola tecta, was thought to only live in the Southern Hemisphere's temperate waters. But a few have recently washed ashore in California and Alaska.
Mola mola is the more well-known sunfish; there's also the Mola alexandrini. All can be found around the globe, except for the polar regions.
The key differences between the Mola mola and the more newly-discovered Mola tecta, first spotted in 2017, is the shape and size. Mola tectas are believed to only reach 7.9 feet and weigh around 4,000 pounds, Seaside Aquarium said.
