Aquarium wants to return sunfish to ocean

Technical Diving with Ocean Sunfish (Mola mola) from BIDP Bali Diving on Vimeo.

Translated from Radio West in the Netherlands today:

THE HAGUE – Sealife aquarium Scheveningen has a problem: what to do with ocean sunfish Luna? The animal was found last week on the beach of Kijkduin and brought to Sealife by the beach police.

Meanwhile, Luna has recovered and Sealife wants to bring her back to her natural environment. “We do not want to keep this sunfish in captivity.” However, Sealife itself does not have a boat to bring her back. Sunfish live near Normandy in France. Land transport is no problem, but the aquarium is still looking for a skipper who wants to help.

Luna was found on the beach with slight damage to a fin. This wound has recovered and her appetite is back as well. Luna is about eighty centimeters long.

Adult ocean sunfish can reach up to 3.3 m.

The young Scheveningen fish was called Luna after the Roman moon goddess. This is because the Dutch name for the species is `maanvis`, moonfish.

Rare ocean sunfish drifts through area eating its weight in jellyfish.

USA: Giant ocean sunfish (Mola mola) strand in the shallows of Cape Cod Bay each fall: here.

Giant Ocean Sunfish Discovered on Lieutenant Island: here.

Opah fish: here.

Scientists concerned oceans may become increasingly dominated by jellyfish: here.