Grabe ang Laki! Fishermen Accidentally Catch Giant Sunfish in Marinduque, Then Let It Go
Fishermen in Marinduque got the shock of their lives when they accidentally netted a massive mola-mola — better known as a sunfish — during a routine fishing trip. The enormous creature measured approximately six feet wide and weighed over 150 kilos.
"Noon lang kami nakahuli nang sobrang laki talaga nito, hindi kami makapaniwala," said fisherman Teodorico Quimora, who described the moment as surreal. Despite the potentially valuable catch, Quimora and his crew did the right thing — they released the sunfish back into the ocean, as catching mola-mola is prohibited under Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) regulations.
The mola-mola is one of the ocean's most bizarre-looking creatures. Shaped like a giant dinner plate with fins on top and bottom, it's missing a typical tail fin. Instead, according to fisheries expert Louie Bersano from Davao Del Norte State College, the fish has developed a "clavus" — a unique structure it uses as a rudder to navigate the waters.
Some superstitious fisherfolk believe that a mola-mola surfacing is a bad omen, possibly a warning sign of earthquakes. But science says otherwise — experts explain that sunfish regularly come to the surface for "sunbathing," a natural behavior that helps them regulate body temperature and shed parasites. It's actually how they got the name "sunfish" in the first place.
Mola-mola can grow to weigh up to 2,000 kilos — heavier than a car — making them the heaviest bony fish in the ocean. While the Marinduque encounter may have spooked some locals, marine biologists assure the public it's just nature doing its thing. No earthquakes predicted, just one very large, very chill fish taking a sunbath.
Source: GMA News / 24 Oras
