Illustration of ocean sunfish
ocean sunfish
noun
: a large bony fish (Mola mola of the family Molidae, order Tetraodontiformes) having high dorsal and anal fins and a body nearly oval in outline and attaining a length of 10 feet (3 meters) and a weight in excess of 2 tons (1.8 metric tons)
Examples of ocean sunfish in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Meanwhile, marine life spans from the ocean sunfish to the dusky dolphin—but thankfully, South Africa’s iconic great white sharks are nowhere to be found.
—
Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Other gifts included a green turtle, an ocean sunfish, a broadnose sevengill shark and an ancient murrelet.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 July 2025
The ocean sunfish is the world's heaviest bony fish, not including stingrays or sharks.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025
Over the course of the five-hour flight, the team documented two endangered sperm whales, two fin whales, two True’s beaked whales, hundreds of dolphins, dozens of ocean sunfish, and several basking sharks.
—Kate Armanini, BostonGlobe.com, 8 May 2023
These sunfish are often confused with ocean sunfish, Mola mola, but their differences were recently clarified.
—CBS News, 20 Oct. 2022
The book also features the voice of an ocean sunfish that was found just outside Narragansett Bay and held in a sea pen.
—Helen Scales, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2019
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Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025
Other gifts included a green turtle, an ocean sunfish, a broadnose sevengill shark and an ancient murrelet.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 July 2025
The ocean sunfish is the world's heaviest bony fish, not including stingrays or sharks.
—Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 5 Apr. 2025
Over the course of the five-hour flight, the team documented two endangered sperm whales, two fin whales, two True’s beaked whales, hundreds of dolphins, dozens of ocean sunfish, and several basking sharks.
—Kate Armanini, BostonGlobe.com, 8 May 2023
These sunfish are often confused with ocean sunfish, Mola mola, but their differences were recently clarified.
—CBS News, 20 Oct. 2022
The book also features the voice of an ocean sunfish that was found just outside Narragansett Bay and held in a sea pen.
—Helen Scales, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2019
Cite this Entry
“Ocean sunfish.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ocean%20sunfish. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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