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Slender Sunfish

Slender Sunfish

Ranzania Laevis

Quick Facts

Scientific name Ranzania Laevis

Other names Dwarf Sunfish, Oblong Sunfish, Ranzania, Short Sunfish, Slender Mola, Truncated Sunfish, Trunkfish, Tsunami Fish

Size Up to 1 m (3.28 ft)

Weight Up to 10 kg (22 lb)

Distribution

Habitat & AU Distribution Deepsea, offshore in open ocean waters, epipelagic zone

Depth Range 1 - 200 m (656 ft)

Interesting Info

The Slender Sunfish are a bit different to others in their species as they travel in large schools.
Slender Sunfish are typically silver-grey in colour with white patches on their fins and body. They have a flattened, oval-shaped body with a short snout, small mouth, and a pointed dorsal fin.
They are the smallest of their species and the most agile. As their name suggests they are slender and are quick swimmers.
Slender Sunfish are carnivores and feed on jellyfish, plankton, small fish, squid and smaller crustaceans.
The skin of Slender Sunfish is very thick and tough, which helps to protect them from predators and also from the stinging cells of jellyfish.
The lifespan for this species is unclear. Other larger species of sunfish live up to 25 years.
These fish have been known to beach themselves in large numbers – the reasons for this are unknown.
A interesting fact about this species is that they are unable to close their mouth.
Their breeding habits are not well understood. However, it is believed that they have a pelagic spawning behaviour, in which females release eggs into the water column and males release sperm to fertilise them.
The main predators of Slender Sunfish include sharks or large predatory fish.

Species Interaction

Snorkelling & Diving

The Slender Sunfish is a fairly elusive fish as it is a faster swimming species of Sunfish. Schools of this fish are occasionally seen by snorkelers or divers in deeper waters on the outside of reefs.