Summary
Why do sunfish sunbathe? Will a sunfish squash my child? Can I use a dead sunfish to pay my taxes? Is that a baby whale?
Come learn about the egg-laying champion on this episode of Species.
Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Z5YnjyOkKs_kpttWcgSJkHKWKvNW56E9GSZFIxdzoRo/edit?usp=sharing
Addendum: Some Japanese biologists believe that a new species of Mola should be acknowledged, named Mola alexandrini (bump-head sunfish). They have noticeable genetic and phenotypic differences from other Mola mola, with whom they are usually grouped. If Mola alexandrini is indeed a different species to Mola mola, then the bump-head sunfish (not the ocean sunfish) holds the title of largest sunfish specimen ever found.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Just a few years ago, Bostonians Michael Bergen and Jay Foster were out fishing when they saw an incredible animal out on the water. |
| 0:09.0 | Oh man, pull back up, Jay! |
| 0:11.0 | Come on! |
| 0:12.0 | Come on, bro! Pull back up, bro! |
| 0:15.0 | As they approached and after they had approached, they tried their best to identify the species in question. |
| 0:21.6 | I apologize if here the recording gets a bit choppy because I do have to cut out some of their more colorful language. |
| 0:28.6 | I don't know what this is, but Jay says it's a big sea turtle. |
| 0:34.6 | It's a baby wheel, man! If that's a flounder, man, let's pull it in, Jay. |
| 0:41.3 | Come on. |
| 0:42.3 | That's a tuna, bro. |
| 0:44.3 | Jay, that's a tuner or something. |
| 0:46.3 | Jay, look at it. |
| 0:47.3 | Come on. |
| 0:48.3 | It's a flounder with the fence. |
| 0:51.3 | It's Mooby Dick. |
| 0:53.3 | All of these guesses were wrong. |
| 0:55.9 | Mike and Jay were actually witnessing a sunfish. |
| 0:59.1 | The creature in question was lying on his side at the top of the water, waving their fin in the air. |
| 1:03.3 | Typical sunfish behavior, but really weird for any of the listed animals to do. |
| 1:09.5 | And Michael was pretty worried. |
| 1:14.6 | That thing is big, Jay. What is that thing? It looks hurt. I don't know. That thing looks hurt, Jay. |
| 1:16.6 | The sympathy is sweet, but this assessment likely wasn't correct either. The animal in question seems more or less fine for a sunfish. |
... |
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