Though much of the planet is covered in water, there is still a lot about the undersea world that many do not know. Meet one of the ocean's most intriguing creatures, the Mola mola, also known as the ocean sunfish.
This tropical ocean fish gets its odd shape due to a curiosity in its growth, states National Geographic. It's back fin does not grow in length after birth, and develops instead into a short rudder-like fin. Not surprisingly, this results in clumsy, slow swimming motions.
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But this is not the most intriguing feature of this underwater oddity. It also happens to be the heaviest of all bony fish. According to National Geographic, they can grow to be as big as 14 feet tall, 10 feet long, and can weigh as much as 5,000 pounds.
Watch the incredible video below shot in the waters near Portugal and uploaded by Scuba Diving is My Life to get an idea of just how enormous they can be.
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Despite their large size (and mouths) they are not considered dangerous to people. Rather, their preferred diet of jellyfish makes them susceptible to suffocation by accidentally injesting plastic bags. Like so many other underwater species, human waste poses a bigger threat to their livelihood than they are a threat to us.
If you are impressed by the Mola mola, be sure to share this with your friends!