So yesterday we took the dogs for a walk along Noordhoek beach, see the pics below of them beach wrestling! Too much fun was had 😉
But when we were leaving the beach we came across some washed up Sunfish. So I delved a little further and here is what I found: According to Cape Town´s Two Oceans Aquarium, they received a number of calls from concerned citizens regarding slender sunfish washing ashore on beaches around the Cape Peninsula. Sightings of these animals, both dead and alive, have been reported on beaches and in shallow water off Blouberg, Melkbos and Noordhoek.
All images © liveeco
According to Two Oceans Aquarium Curator Michael Farquhar, “The strong southeasterly winds that we have been experiencing recently result in upwellings of icy cold water off our west coast. Slender sunfish are a tropical species and prefer temperate conditions. The reason for them washing ashore is probably that they are being trapped inshore and cannot function in the cold water.”
At 80cm in length, the slender sunfish (Ranzania laevis) is a small animal compared to the giant ocean sunfish (Mola mola), which attains a size of 3m. Along with gem-like colouring, the slender sunfish has smooth skin, as opposed to the sand paper-like skin of the ocean sunfish.
According to The Ocean Sunfish.org, “The Polynesians called these sunfish ‘King of the Mackerels’. It was seen as bad luck to catch and kill Ranzania, for such an act would render the mackerel incapable of finding their way to the islands.”
“While ocean sunfish and sharptail sunfish (Masturus lanceolatus) are relatively common in our waters at certain times of the year, slender sunfish are rare and little is known about them. They are beautiful animals and for this reason we are keen to display one so that people have the opportunity to see them from an underwater perspective,” said Farquhar. “Many people had never heard of sunfishes, let alone seen one, until we displayed a sunfish in the I&J Predator Exhibit just after the Aquarium opened in 1995. At sea you normally only catch a fleeting glimpse of a fin or a large flat disk before the fish dives into the ocean depths – as a result many people mistake sunfishes for sharks.”
Members of the public who encounter slender sunfish on the beach or in shallow water are encouraged to contact the Aquarium immediately on telephone 021 418 3823.
What are your thoughts… do you think this is due to climate change or just a freak phenomena? Have you seen sunfish along other parts of the coast? Let us know in the comment section below.
Nics
xx
