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WoRMS taxon details

Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758) 
AphiaID: 127405

Classification: Biota > Animalia (Kingdom) > Chordata (Phylum) > Vertebrata (Subphylum) > Gnathostomata (Superclass) > Pisces (Superclass) > Actinopterygii (Class) > Tetraodontiformes (Order) > Molidae (Family) > Mola (Genus)
Status accepted
Record
status
 Checked by Taxonomic Editor
Rank Species
Parent Mola Koelreuter, 1763
Synonymised
taxa
  Aledon capensis Castelnau, 1861
Aledon storeri Castelnau, 1861
Cephalus brevis Shaw, 1804
Cephalus ortagoriscus Risso, 1827
Cephalus pallasianus Shaw, 1804
Diodon carinatus Mitchill, 1828
Diodon mola Pallas, 1770
Diodon nummularis Walbaum, 1792
Diplanchias nasus Rafinesque, 1810
Mola aculeata Koelreuter, 1766 (synonym)
Mola aspera Nardo, 1827
Mola hispida Nardo, 1827
Mola rotunda Cuvier, 1797
Molacanthus pallasii Swainson, 1839
Orthragoriscus alexandrini Ranzani, 1839
Orthragoriscus analis Ayres, 1859
Orthragoriscus blochii Ranzani, 1839
Orthragoriscus elegans Ranzani, 1839
Orthragoriscus fasciatus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Orthragoriscus ghini Ranzani, 1839
Orthragoriscus hispidus Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Orthragoriscus lunaris Gronow, 1854
Orthragoriscus mola (Linnaeus, 1758)
Orthragoriscus redi Ranzani, 1839
Orthragoriscus retzii Ranzani, 1839
Orthragoriscus rondeletti Ranzani, 1839
Orthragus luna Rafinesque, 1810
Ozodura orsini Ranzani, 1839
Pedalion gigas Guilding, 1838
Tetraodon mola Linnaeus, 1758 (synonym)
Trematopsis willugbei Ranzani, 1839
Tympanomium planci Ranzani, 1839
Sources  basis of record: Anon. (1996). FishBase 96 [CD-ROM]. ICLARM: Los Baños, Philippines. 1 cd-rom pp. (look up in IMIS[details]

basis of record: van der Land, J.; Costello, M.J.; Zavodnik, D.; Santos, R.S.; Porteiro, F.M.; Bailly, N.; Eschmeyer, W.N.; Froese, R. (2001). Pisces, in: Costello, M.J. et al. (Ed.) (2001). European register of marine species: a check-list of the marine species in Europe and a bibliography of guides to their identification. Collection Patrimoines Naturels, 50: pp. 357-374 (look up in IMIS[details]

additional source: Robins et al., 1986 [details]

additional source: Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentius Salvius: Holmiae. ii, 824 pp., available online at http://gdz.sub.uni-goettingen.de/no_cache/dms/load/toc/?IDDOC=265100
page(s): 334 [details]


additional source: Eschmeyer, W.: Catalog of fishes; California Academy of Sciences, department Ichtyology., available online at http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/Ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp [details]

additional source: Muller, Y. (2004). Faune et flore du littoral du Nord, du Pas-de-Calais et de la Belgique: inventaire. [Coastal fauna and flora of the Nord, Pas-de-Calais and Belgium: inventory]. Commission Régionale de Biologie Région Nord Pas-de-Calais: France. 307 pp. (look up in IMIS[details]

additional source: FishBase, version december 2007, available online at http://www.fishbase.org [details]

additional source: FishBase, version may 2009 [details]

additional source: Roberts, C.; Stewart, A.; Francis, M. (2009). Marine fishes (Chordata). In: Gordon, D. (Ed.) (2009). New Zealand Inventory of Biodiversity. Volume One: Kingdom Animalia. 584 pp [details]

additional source: McEachran, J. D. 2009. Fishes (Vertebrata: Pisces) of the Gulf of Mexico, Pp. 1223–1316 in Felder, D.L. and D.K. Camp (eds.), Gulf of Mexico–Origins, Waters, and Biota. Biodiversity. Texas A&M Press, College Station, Texas. [details]

additional source: FishBase, version october 2012 [details]

additional source: Dyntaxa (2013) Swedish Taxonomic Database. Accessed at www.dyntaxa.se [15-01-2013]., available online at http://www.dyntaxa.se [details]

original description (from synonym): Koelreuter, J.G. (1763). Piscium rariorum e Museo Petropolitano exceptorum descriptiones. Novi Comment. Acad. Sci. Imp. Petropol. v. 8 (for 1760-1761), pp 337-430, 1 pl. [details] [view taxon]

context source (Deepsea): Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO. The Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS), available online at http://www.iobis.org/ [details]

Vernacular
Names
 
Language   Name 
Albanian hana  [details]
Albanian peshkahana  [details]
Albanian peshku hënë  [details]
Danish klumpfisk  [details]
Dutch maanvis  [details]
English ocean sunfish  [details]
English sunfish  [details]
English sun-fish  [details]
French mole  [details]
French mole commun  [details]
French poisson-lune  [details]
German Mondfisch  [details]
Hebrew דג שמש ענק  [details]
Modern Greek (1453-) Φεγγαρόψαρο  [details]
Norwegian Bokmål månefisk  [details]
Norwegian Nynorsk månefisk  [details]
Swedish klumpfisk  [details]
Turkish ayi baligi  [details]
Turkish pervane baligi  [details]
Welsh pysgodyn haul  [details]
Environment marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
Distribution Azores Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
British Columbia [details]
Canadian Exclusive Economic Zone [Pacific part] [details]
Coastal Waters of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia [details]
European waters (ERMS scope) [details]
FAO fishing area 67 [details]
Greek Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Gulf of Maine [details]
Gulf of Mexico [details]
Irish Exclusive economic Zone [details]
Israeli part of the Mediterranean Sea - Eastern Basin [details]
Kenya [details]
Madagascar [details]
Mozambique [details]
New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
North East Pacific [details]
North Pacific [details]
North West Atlantic [details]
Portuguese Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Somalia [details]
South Africa (country) [details]
Spanish Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Tanzania [details]
United Kingdom Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Wimereux [details]
Host of  Lepeophtheirus nordmanni (Milne Edwards, 1840) (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Philorthragoriscus serratus (Krøyer, 1863) (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Anthosoma crassum (Abildgaard, 1794) (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Dinemoura latifolia (Steenstrup & Lütken, 1861) (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Pennella filosa (Linnaeus, 1758) (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Caligus rapax Milne Edwards, 1840 (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Cecrops exiguus Wilson C.B., 1923 (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Lepeophtheirus hastatus Shiino, 1960 (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Lepeophtheirus insignis Wilson C.B., 1908 (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Lepeophtheirus molae Heegaard, 1962 (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Cecrops latreillii Leach, 1816 (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Orthagoriscicola muricatus (Krøyer, 1837) (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Orthagoriscicola wilsoni Schuurmans Stekhoven J.H. Jr & Schuurmans Stekhoven E.W., 1956 (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Laemargus muricatus Kroyer, 1837 (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Caligus formosanus Ho & Lin, 2010 (parasitic: ectoparasitic)
Links Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland
Marine Life Information Network - UK
To Barcode of Life (10 barcodes)
To Biodiversity Heritage Library (228 publications)
To Dyntaxa
To Encyclopedia of Life
To FishBase
To GenBank (100 nucleotides; 70 proteins)
To Marine Species Identification Portal
To PESI
To ITIS
Notes  Description: It often drifts at the surface while lying on its side, or swims upright and so close to the surface that the dorsal fin projects above the water. Sometimes reaches depths of up to 300 m (Ref. 9317). Feeds on animal plankton, eel larvae, small deep-sea fishes; also on jellyfish, crustaceans, molluscs, and brittlestars (Ref. 4925). In Guiness Book of Records it was recorded as the heaviest bony fish and as the one with the most eggs (Ref. 6472). Also occasionally caught with encircling nets (Ref. 9119) and harpoon (Ref. 9988). Mola is the latin word for millstone. Utilized fresh and can be broiled (Ref. 9988). [details]

Diet: Feeds on fishes, mollusks, zooplankton, jellyfish, crustaceans and brittle stars [details]

Distribution: Newfoundland to Argentina [details]

Habitat: Known from seamounts and knolls [details]

Habitat: Found in warm and temperate seas, often drifting on the surface. [details]

Habitat: nektonic [details]

Importance: Scientific- Minor commercial, considered a delicacy in Japan, Chinese medicine [details]

Predators: Bony fishes, sharks and rays [details]

Reproduction: external reproduction [details]
Images 
Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758)
Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758)
added on 2006-08-21 - author: RIVO/Henk Heessen/2005
qualitystatus: not checked

Gilson (1921, fig. 83)
Gilson (1921, fig. 83)
added on 2008-06-12 - author: Anoniem in Gilson, G. (1921)
scan provided by VLIZ - Wetenschatten
qualitystatus: not checked

Poll (1947, fig. 260)
Poll (1947, fig. 260)
added on 2008-08-14 - author: H. Dupond in Poll (1947) (naar Steentrup & Lütken)
scan provided by VLIZ - Wetenschatten
qualitystatus: not checked

Mola mola
Mola mola
added on 2009-02-15 - author: Collection Georges Declercq
qualitystatus: not checked

Mola mola
Mola mola
added on 2009-02-15 - author: Collection Georges Declercq
qualitystatus: not checked

Mola mola
Mola mola
added on 2009-02-15 - author: Collection Georges Declercq
qualitystatus: not checked

Maanvis  - Mola mola
Maanvis - Mola mola
added on 2011-07-06
qualitystatus: not checked

Maanvis  - Mola mola
Maanvis - Mola mola
added on 2011-07-06
qualitystatus: not checked

Mola mola
Mola mola
added on 2011-09-08 - author: Collection VLIZ ()
qualitystatus: not checked
LSID urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:127405
Taxonomic
Edit history
 
Date   action   by
2004-12-21 15:54:05Z  created  van der Land, Jacob
2008-01-15 17:27:08Z  changed  Bailly, Nicolas
  
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  Citation: Bailly, N. (2013). Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758). In: Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. (2013) FishBase. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=127405 on 2013-06-20
  Creative Commons License The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License