Sunfish

Perhaps one of the more unusual sea creatures to feed on the jellyfish is the Mola Mola, or sunfish. They are the heaviest bony fish in the world, with an average weight of 1 tonne and length of 1.8m, although the largest recorded one weighed in at 2235kg, and just over 3m in length.

They are very strange looking fish, being almost round with a fin at top and bottom, and are often to be seen on or near the surface with their upper fin flapping clumsily above the water, making them easy to spot. This bizarre basking behaviour is thought to be an attempt to warm up in the surface layer of water after deep dives. These are occasional sightings and generally we only see small ones in the waters off Pembrokeshire and only in the summer. They feed on jellyfish, small fish, squid and crustaceans and the females can produce more eggs that any other known vertebrate, up to an astonishing 3 million! They can become a host to up to 54 species of parasites and will often invite small fish or even birds to to feast on these.