Rare hoodwinker sunfish washes ashore at Bodega Bay; one of two found dead or stranded
Two giant Mola tecta were discovered at Doran Regional Park in Sonoma County; experts say the sighting is unusual for the Northern Hemisphere and may shed light on the species' range
Two unusually large, odd-shaped fish found on a Sonoma County beach this weekend were identified by regional park officials as Mola tecta, a little-known species of sunfish sometimes called the hoodwinker, with only one of the two animals alive when discovered.
The fish were reported along the shore at Doran Regional Park in Bodega Bay after visitors initially saw what they thought were sharks swimming near a jetty, Sonoma County Regional Parks said in a Facebook post. Photographs posted by witnesses show one of the massive sunfish lying flat on the sand with a seagull nearby that conveys the creature’s scale.
Experts who examined the specimens identified them as Mola tecta. The species was first described in 2017 after a specimen was found in Christchurch, New Zealand, according to the Museum of New Zealand. Known informally as the hoodwinker sunfish, Mola tecta can grow to more than 9 feet in height and weigh as much as 4,400 pounds.
"It’s sad that it’s been washed to shore," novelist and Sonoma State University English professor Stefan Kiesbye told The Press Democrat. "But it was so enormous and so weird and gorgeous. It’s like suddenly you’re on another planet."
Dr. Marianne Nyegaard, a scientist who has worked on Mola tecta, told The Press Democrat that the species is primarily known from the Southern Hemisphere but has been documented in the Humboldt Current off South America, reaching as far north as Peru. "We did not think they would cross the warm equatorial belt — at least not very often," she said. "But they definitely cross — probably by diving deep and swimming underneath the warmer equatorial surface waters."
Sonoma County park responders said human interaction did not cause the death of the animal found onshore. Officials described the discovery as rare and noted that sightings at this latitude are uncommon for the species.
The two sunfish drew attention from onlookers and social media users over the weekend, with observers sharing photos and accounts of the unusual coastal sighting. Park staff responded to reports and posted images and details about the discovery on social media.
Mola tecta’s relatively recent formal identification and its primarily Southern Hemisphere records have made each northern occurrence noteworthy to researchers tracking the distribution and movement patterns of large pelagic species. Scientists say such strandings and beachings provide opportunities to document morphology, health and possible causes of mortality, and to improve knowledge of where these large fishes travel.
Officials did not immediately provide further details about the condition of the surviving animal or plans for any scientific examination. Sonoma County Regional Parks and other local responders continue to monitor the area and to collect information from witnesses and photographs for records and potential research use.