A
giant fish rarely seen in the North Sea has washed up on a Norfolk beach.
The
sunfish, which can grow to weigh up to 2,200 lbs (1,000kg) according to the
British Marine Life Study Society, was found dead at Overstrand on Sunday
morning.
The
fish cannot easily tolerate water temperatures below 12C (54F) and the North
Sea in winter is much colder.
It
swims on its side on the surface to gain heat from the sun, which is how it got
its English name.
The
sunfish, genus Mola mola, from the
Latin for millstone which it is said to resemble, thrives in tropical and
semi-tropical water, the society said.
'Unusual
sighting'
The
giant fish's main diet is jellyfish and because of its low mass the sunfish
needs to eat many, so it is seen in warmer waters.
They
also prey on crustaceans and squid but humans are banned from eating sunfish
under European rules because parts of their bodies are thought to contain
toxins.
There
are frequent sightings of the fish off the south west coast of Ireland and the
west coast of Scotland where waters are warmed by the gulf stream but they are
rarely seen in winter around the British Isles because the waters are cold.
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