Sunfish aka Mola Mola off Tiana Beach, Hampton Bays

This amazing video from aquatic documentarian, Christopher Paparo of Fish Guy Photos offers a closeup view of an ocean sunfish, also known as a mola mola, off Tiana Beach in Hamptons Bays. These prehistoric fish are often mistaken as a shark from shore because of their large dorsal fin, which cuts through the water as they swim just beneath the water’s surface. With lengths as long as 10 feet, and topping the scales at just over a ton, the oddly shaped ocean sunfish are the world’s largest bony fish. As some lucky locals may have seen, these incredible animals get their “sunfish” name for their habit of basking in the sun on the ocean’s surface.

See more of Fish Guy Photos’ fascinating videos at vimeo.com/fishguyphotos.