THE HEAD-FISHES 



Family LXV. Molidce 



BODY short and deep, or oblong, compressed, truncate behind, 

 so that there is no caudal peduncle; skin rough, naked, spinous 

 or tessellated; mouth very small, terminal; teeth completely united 

 in each jaw, forming a bony beak without median suture; dorsal 

 and anal fins similar, falcate in front, the posterior parts more or less 

 confluent with the caudal fin; no spinous dorsal; no ventrals, 

 pelvic bones undeveloped; pectoral fins present; belly not inflat- 

 able; gill-openings small, in front of the pectorals; an accessory 

 opercular gill; no air-bladder. 



Fishes of the open seas, seeming to be composed of a big 

 head to which small fins are attached. There are 3 genera and 

 about 6 species, all pelagic, found in most warm seas, and 

 reaching a very large size. Two genera with i species each found 

 in our limits. 



a. Body suborbicular, not twice as long as deep; skin thick, rough, 

 gristly, without hexagonal plates ; Mola, 492 



aa. Body oblong, about twice as long as deep; skin smooth, tessel- 

 lated, with smooth hexagonal plates ; Ran^ania, 494 



The genus Mola contains a single species, Mola mola, one of the 

 most remarkable among fishes, known as sunfish, headfish, mola, and 

 pez luna, and found in most warm seas. It ranges as far north as 

 England, Cape Cod and San Francisco. It is one of the largest of 

 all fishes reaching a weight of nearly a ton. The largest example 

 on record was taken at Redondo Beach, California, in June, 1893, 

 and was mounted by Mr. T. Shooter of Los Angeles. It was 8 

 feet 2 inches long and weighed 1800 pounds, 



The sunfish are not rare on our Atlantic Coast where they may 

 be seen on almost any calm summer day. They float lazily with 

 one of the bright sides just at the surface, the waves rippling and 

 breaking over them, and the heavy pectoral fin moving slowly to 

 and fro through the air; thus lying they are very conspicuous 

 objects and may be seen long distances. They spend whole days 



492 



