What does sunfish mean?
Sunfish most commonly refers to the ocean sunfish, Mola mola, a remarkable marine fish known for its flattened, truncated body, long fins, and apparent lack of a conventional tail. Its misleading name comes from its habit of resting near the surface in sunny weather. An adult can weigh more than 1,000 kilograms, yet the fish feeds mainly on small drifting and gelatinous organisms. In North America, however, sunfish is also a collective name for freshwater fishes in the centrarchid family, including bluegills and several species called basses. These smaller fishes are common in ponds, lakes, and slow rivers and are familiar to freshwater anglers. The word is therefore most useful as a broad common name: its precise referent depends on context, especially whether the surrounding discussion concerns marine wildlife or North American freshwater fishing.
nounSunfish most commonly denotes the ocean sunfish (Mola mola), a large, laterally compressed marine fish of the family Molidae. In North American English, the term also refers collectively to various small-to-medium freshwater fishes of the family Centrarchidae, including bluegills and basses.
- The ocean sunfish, Mola mola, a large marine fish with a truncated body and unusually long dorsal and anal fins.
- Any of various North American freshwater fishes of the family Centrarchidae, such as the bluegill, that are collectively called sunfishes.
"The rescue team found an enormous sunfish stranded near the harbor and kept it in a shallow pool while preparing to return it to deeper water."
"Divers encountered a slow-moving ocean sunfish beside a rocky reef in the Mediterranean."
"The bluegill is one of the smaller freshwater sunfishes common in ponds and slow-moving rivers in North America."
The plural is normally unchanged from the singular.
"Several sunfish followed the boat beneath the surface."
An ocean sunfish can weigh more than 1,000 kilograms, making it one of the world's heaviest bony fish despite having no tail.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sunfish come from?
Sunfish is an English compound formed from the inherited Germanic words sun and fish. The marine name refers to the ocean sunfish's characteristic habit of lying near the surface in sunshine. In North American English, freshwater sunfishes form a larger naming group within the centrarchid family, while related English compounds such as Sunday, sunlight, sunburn, and suntan preserve the same Germanic word for the sun.
How sunfish is actually used
In Australian English, sunfish usually means the marine Mola mola and may also refer to it as food. North American usage distinguishes ocean sunfish from the freshwater centrarchid fishes commonly called sunfishes. The term is descriptive rather than formal and is often used in wildlife reporting, marine biology, and angling.