Genus Mola Koelreuter, 1766
Ocean Sunfish
- Mola Koelreuter, I.T. 1766. Piscium rariorum e mus. petrop. exceptorum descriptiones continuatae. Novi Commentarii Academiae Scientiarum Imperialis Petropolitanae 10: 329-351 [dated 1774] [337].
Type species:
Mola aculeata Koelreuter, 1766 by subsequent designation, see Fraser-Brunner, A. 1951. The ocean sunfishes (family Molidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Historical Series 1(6): 89-121 figs 1-18 [109].
Introduction
In a phylogenetic analysis Yoshita et al. (2009) identified two clades within Mola that they termed Mola group A and Mola Group B and tentatively linked these clades to M. ramsayi and M. mola respectively. They also found evidence of a third clade (Mola group C) based on genetic material that lacked morphological information. Subsequently, Nyegaard et al. (2018) used additional genetic and morphological analyses of fresh material to determine that Mola group C represented a new species which they described as M. tecta. Following the rediscovery of the holotype of M. alexandrini Sawai et al. (2018) determined that this species was synonymous with M. ramsayi, the latter becoming a junior synonym based on priority.
Distribution
States
New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
Circumglobal.
IMCRA
Tasmania Province (10), Southeast Transition (11), Central Eastern Province (12), Tasman Basin Province (13), Lord Howe Province (14), Norfolk Island Province (21), Christmas Island Province (23), Northern Shelf Province (25), Northwest Shelf Transition (26), Southwest Shelf Province (31), Great Australian Bight Shelf Transition (32), Spencer Gulf Shelf Province (33), Western Bass Strait Shelf Transition (34), Bass Strait Shelf Province (35), Tasmanian Shelf Province (36), Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38), Southwest Transition (7), Southern Province (8), West Tasmania Transition (9)
General References
Bray, D.J. 2008. Family Molidae. pp. 858-861 in Gomon, M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds). Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.
Fraser-Brunner, A. 1951. The ocean sunfishes (family Molidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Historical Series 1(6): 89-121 figs 1-18
Hutchins, J.B. 2001. Molidae. pp. 3966-3968 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 6 pp. 3381-4218.
Nyegaard, M., Sawai, E., Gemmel, N., Gillum, J., Loneragan, N.R., Yamanoue, Y. & Stewart, A.L. 2018. Hiding in broad daylight: molecular and morphological data reveal a new ocean sunfish species (Tetraodontiformes: Molidae) that has eluded recognition. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 182: 631-658
Sawai, E., Yamanoue, Y., Nyegaard, M. & Sakai, Y. 2018. Redescription of the bump‑head sunfish Mola alexandrini (Ranzani 1839), senior synonym of Mola ramsayi (Giglioli 1883), with designation of a neotype for Mola mola (Linnaeus 1758) (Tetraodontiformes: Molidae). Ichthyological Research 65: 142-160
Yoshita, Y., Yamanoue, Y., Sagara, K., Nishibori, M., Kuniyoshi, H., Umino, T., Sakai, Y., Hashimoto, H. & Gushima, K. 2009. Phylogenetic relationship of two Mola sunfishes (Tetraodontiformes: Molidae) occurring around the coast of Japan, with notes on their geographical distribution and morphological characteristics. Ichthyological Research 56(3): 232-244 [published online 25 Dec 2008]
Common Name References
Pollard, J. (ed.) 1980. G.P. Whitley's Handbook of Australian Fishes. North Sydney : Jack Pollard Publishing Pty Ltd 629 pp. [324] (Ocean Sunfish)
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11-Sep-2020 | MOLIDAE | 03-Sep-2020 | MODIFIED | Dr Doug Hoese (AM) Dr Matthew Lockett (ABRS) |
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |