Ocean sunfish
Mola mola
Sighting evidence at Cretaccio Island Wall, Tremiti Islands
Photo: Randy Puckett · CC BY-NC
The largest bony fish in the world by weight, Mola mola visits the waters around Cretaccio in summer and autumn when jellyfish blooms are abundant in the Adriatic. It is occasionally encountered from the wall, cruising in the blue water off the drop and sometimes rising toward the surface to be cleaned by wrasse. A sunfish sighting from depth — its disc-like silhouette appearing below the wall — is one of the most disorienting and memorable experiences in Mediterranean diving.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Ocean sunfish is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.