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Which features of ocean sunfishes distinguish them from other tetraodontiform fishes?
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tetraodontiform
Scrawled filefish (Aluterus scriptus)
Ocean sunfishes, belonging to the family Molidae, are distinguished from other members of the order Tetraodontiformes by several unique anatomical and physiological features:
- Body Shape and Tail: Molas possess a distinctive, bullet-shaped appearance with a short, deep body that ends abruptly behind the tall dorsal and anal fins. Instead of a standard tail, they have a thick, rudderlike structure called a clavus, which develops as the fish grows due to the folding of the back fin into the body.1
- Dentition: They possess two tooth plates, with one in each jaw.2
- Skin: Their skin is leathery and relatively smooth, though it is often exceptionally thick.2
- Internal Anatomy: Unlike many other bony fishes, molas lack a swim bladder.2
- Size: While most tetraodontiforms are relatively small, molas are among the largest of all bony fishes, with some species reaching lengths of over 3 meters and weights exceeding 2,000 kg.21