A record heavy bony fish was found off the coast of Faial Island in the Portuguese Azores archipelago. It is a 3.6 meter long sunfish, or Mola Mola, which weighed at least 2,744 kilos.
The discovery was made in December last year. The water giant’s carcass was then floated to the surface. Curious fishermen brought it ashore.
An investigation showed that the angelfish had been injured in the head. The animal is believed to have collided with a ship. The injury ultimately led to his death, researchers suspect.
Much is still unclear about the life of the angelfish. All over the world, research is underway into the life of these giant fish, which look like rather puffy dolphins. The animals owe their name to their shape: a round disk that resembles a full moon.
Angelfish are ocean fish found in temperate and tropical oceans. The animals feed on jellyfish, small fish and plankton. They bathe regularly on the Dutch coast, as it is difficult for them to survive in shallow water.
