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
Studies have revealed the velella eat zooplankton, fish eggs and krill, while ocean sunfish called mola mola, one of the ocean's largest bony fish, have been seen feasting on large flotillas of velella at sea.
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Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 6 May 2026
While there’s an uptick of great white shark activity this time of year, researchers also receive many reports of ocean sunfish, also known as Mola molas.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
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
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
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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Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 6 May 2026
While there’s an uptick of great white shark activity this time of year, researchers also receive many reports of ocean sunfish, also known as Mola molas.
—Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 7 Sep. 2025
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
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
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 14 May. 2026.
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