A group of international researchers had been studying the Indo-Pacific region for four years before making their fascinating discovery. It is the first new species of this type of fish in 130 years.
Moonfish are the heaviest bonefish in the world, with some specimens weighing up to two tons and reaching three meters in length. La Mole, as it is called, now has its own genus (Mola), which until then consisted of two species: Mola mola and Mola ramsayi. A third has just been discovered and has been named Mola tecta, a name derived from the Latin tectus meaning "disguised" or "hidden". The species has been outside scientists for years and has finally been found in the cold waters of New Zealand, southern Chile, off South Africa and the southeastern coast of Australia.
Despite their massive appearance the sunfish are notoriously difficult to spot by their solitary nature, but not that. "This new species has managed to escape discovery for nearly three centuries by camouflaging itself in the completely disorderly history of the taxonomy of sunfish in part because these fish are very difficult to preserve and study," says Marianne Nyegaard of the University of Murdoch, the main author of this study. When the explorers reached Australia and New Zealand, they began labeling all the sunfish encountered as Mola mola, which subsequently made things more complicated.
The biologist started a real game of hide and seek four years ago when they noticed genetic differences in sunfish specimens collected from Australian and New Zealand longline fishing parties . But it was necessary to find the famous fish to make comparisons. "Finding these fish and storing samples for studies is a logistical nightmare because of their elusive nature," says the biologist. Over a period of four years, researchers were still able to collect data from 27 specimens and finally identify the new species, the first discovery since Mola ramsayi 130 years ago.
Like its two sister species, Mola mola and Mola ramsayi, the new species has the characteristic truncated appearance of a sunfish . Mola tecta remains elegant and slim. Analyzes of the digestive tract of three sampled specimens also revealed that the fish were feeding on salpids, jellyfish-like sea creatures resembling jellyfish and living in deep water.
Divers dwarfed by enormous sunfish :
Pictures : 1,2
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