Teleostei (teleosts) > Tetraodontiformes (Puffers and filefishes) > Molidae (Molas or Ocean Sunfishes)
Etymology: Masturus: Greek, mastax, -agos = bite + Greek, oura = tail (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Liénard.

Marine; brackish; bathypelagic; depth range ? - 670 m (Ref. 36453); deep-water; 37°N - 35°S -.

Circumglobal: In tropical to subtropical waters.

Max length: 337 cm TL male/unsexed (Ref. 6952); max. published weight: 2.0 t (Ref. 4424).

Dorsal soft rays (total): 15 - 19; Anal soft rays: 15 - 19. Dorsal and anal fins similar in shape, positioned far back on body (Ref. 53035).

Tortonese, E. 1990 Molidae. p. 1077-1079. In J.C. Quero, J.C. Hureau, C. Karrer, A. Post and L. Saldanha (eds.) Check-list of the fishes of the eastern tropical Atlantic (CLOFETA). JNICT, Lisbon; SEI, Paris; and UNESCO, Paris. Vol. 2. (Ref. 6952)

  Least Concern (LC); date assessed: June 07 2011

Not Evaluated

Not Evaluated

  Harmless

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Preferred temperature (Ref. 123201): 8.9 - 17.6, mean 12.1 °C (based on 390 cells).

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804): PD₅₀ = 1.0312 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].

Bayesian length-weight: a=0.02455 (0.01018 - 0.05918), b=3.02 (2.81 - 3.23), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).

Trophic level (Ref. 69278): 3.8 ±0.6 se; Based on diet studies.

Fishing vulnerability (Ref. 59153): Very high vulnerability (90 of 100).

Nutrients (Ref. 124155): Calcium = 0 [0, 0] mg/100g; Iron = 0 [0, 0] mg/100g; Protein = 0 [0, 0] %; Omega3 = 0 [0, 0] g/100g; Selenium = 0 [0, 0] μg/100g; VitaminA = 0 [0, 0] μg/100g; Zinc = 0 [0, 0] mg/100g (wet weight);