Ocean sunfish Facts for Kids

The ocean sunfish is a big, round fish that looks like a giant head with fins. It has no real tail. It lies on its side at the top of the sea to soak up the sun.

An ocean sunfish swims by flapping its tall fins above and below its body, like wings, and it steers with a stubby, rounded back fin instead of a tail. It eats jellyfish, which are mostly water, so it needs to eat a lot. After diving into cold water to find food, it rests on its side near the top of the sea to warm up in the sun.

Ocean sunfish are the heaviest bony fish in the world, yet they begin life as tiny babies. Their teeth are joined together into a beak, and their thick, rough skin helps protect them. They travel through open water in warm and mild seas, diving down deep to find jellyfish and coming back up to warm. Floating trash can harm them, because a plastic bag can look like a jellyfish, so keeping the sea clean helps sunfish.