Largest bony fish recorded

[SilverFly]

Anyone who fishes tuna is familiar with ocean sunfish (mola mola) and we've seen some big ones off our coast. Size wise I can only comment on what I've seen but car-tire size seems fairly common with the largest roughly equivalent to a picnic table or queen mattress.

These would be minnows compared to a dead sunfish found recently near the Azores. Although a different species (Mola alexandrini) the bumphead sunfish was only recently described as distinct.

'Majestic' 3-ton sunfish sets a new world record for largest bony fish ever discovered

A new study has revealed that a 6,000-pound giant sunfish found dead in the Azores is the heaviest bony fish ever recorded.

www.livescience.com

 

[Stonedfish]

I wonder how they taste? Anyone on here ever eaten any sunfish?
I saw this video of a guy breaking one down.
Pretty gelatinous looking.
SF

 

[Matt B]

I wonder how they taste? Anyone on here ever eaten any sunfish?
I saw this video of a guy breaking one down.
Pretty of gelatinous looking.
SF

Whoah, that was pretty crazy. "Trim dead sunfish, not live sunfish." -21s
At the end it said the cooked (boiled and then frozen) product is odorless and tasteless. Well then why put in a pound of garlic? As to being gelatinous, I guess you are what you eat!
Wild video. I never would've guessed what's inside one of those things.

 

[PhilR]

Gross, and supposed to be bad luck to kill one. Hard pass.

 

[SilverFly]

Gross but fascinating. They're just as weird on the inside as the outside.

Would just feel wrong to kill one. They are so curious and unafraid about approaching the boat.

 

[headduck]

Wow. Crazy. I like how it's broken down on the curb... then they ice it for display.

I think I'd try it.

 

[SilverFly]

Wow. Crazy. I like how it's broken down on the curb... then they ice it for display.

I think I'd try it.

I'd might try it out of sheer curiosity ... after a few sakes.

 

[Jacob Watrous]

I wonder how they taste? Anyone on here ever eaten any sunfish?
I saw this video of a guy breaking one down.
Pretty gelatinous looking.
SF

No idea, but now I want to catch and taste one more than ever.

EDIT: Upon research, it only sounds better. https://americasrestaurant.com/sunfish-taste/

 

[Cabezon]

Something to keep in mind when contemplating eating any flesh from an ocean sunfish, especially uncooked... Ocean sunfish are renowned for the diversity and number of their parasites, especially skin parasites. While one reason why ocean sunfish are often found basking at the surface is warming up after a long dive in colder, deeper water, they may also be eliciting cleaning by birds to help remove surface parasites. They are also cleaned by fish underwater (see amazing deep-water video here).
Steve

 

[SilverFly]

Something to keep in mind when contemplating eating any flesh from an ocean sunfish, especially uncooked... Ocean sunfish are renowned for the diversity and number of their parasites, especially skin parasites. While one reason why ocean sunfish are often found basking at the surface is warming up after a long dive in colder, deeper water, they may also be eliciting cleaning by birds to help remove surface parasites. They are also cleaned by fish underwater (see amazing deep-water video here).
Steve

Mmm, delicious parasites! .... NO THANKS! Nope, no way I would try mola without it being cooked, or at the very least, being deep frozen for a few weeks first. That said, I do love sushi.

 

[Stonedfish]

Wow. Crazy. I like how it's broken down on the curb...

Dirt and gravel are known to add texture and crunch.
SF