It is the second time such a creature has washed ashore most recently along the Oregon Coast.
The Seaside Aquarium reports a small Mola was found south of the Sunset Beach approach near Seaside.
“While this fish is only a little over five feet, Mola molas, or ocean sunfish, can get up to ten feet and weight as much as 5,000 pounds,” the Aquarium states in a Facebook post.
A similar Hoodwinker Sunfish washed ashore north of Gearhart Beach last June.
There are three different species of sunfish in the genus Mola:
- Mola mola
- Mola tecta
- Mola alezandrini
All three can be found all over the globe and are widely distributed throughout the world’s oceans, except for the polar regions, according to the Seaside Aquarium.
“The newest species to join the Mola was the Mola tecta, which was recently discovered in 2017. Only a few specimens have been examined and even fewer sampled,” the Facebook post states. “So, when the Mola tecta washed ashore it caused quite a stir.”