The mola mola, or sunfish, can grow as big as a pickup truck ... and can carry up to 40 kinds of parasites. That's great news for cleaner fish and seagulls, who pick the parasites off the sunfish at a nearby kelp spa.
", "is_us_only": "false", "title": "World's Weirdest: Seagulls Help Sunfish ", "url": "http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/animals/fish-animals/spiny-rayed-fish/weirdest-mola-mola/", "country_code_deny_list": [], "allowUserEmbed": "True", "related": { "link": [ { "url": "http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/mola/", "name": "Mola Profile" } ] }, "credit": "National Geographic", "smil": "http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/player/data/xml/weirdest-mola-mola.smil", "country_code_allow_list": [], "HTML5src": "/video/player/media-mp4/weirdest-mola-mola/mp4/variant-playlist.m3u8", "still": "http://video.nationalgeographic.com/exposure/core_media/ngphoto/image/60095_0_616x346.jpg", "transcript": "This disc-shaped fish looks like it belongs more in outer space than under water.
But the mola mola, or ocean sunfish, is no stranger to the oceans.
When you're as big as a pickup truck, you go anywhere you please.
It spends most of its time diving in the depths for its main prey-jellyfish.
Jellies are more numerous than nutritious, so the sunfish spends most of its time feeding.
But it doesn't have food on its mind right now.
Today, it's come to the surface to deal with a bigger problem. One of a confidential nature: Parasites.
Sunfish can be infested with some 40 different kinds.
In the marine world, don't try to remove them yourself.
Seek kelp.
These beds of floating kelp are home to the half-moon fish, who will gladly take care of the problem.
Weird? Maybe-but it's just what the doctor ordered.
Even in the wild, though, you'll still have to wait for your appointment.
The sunfish float in line until it's their turn.
Then they flop on their sides to be tended to.
The cleaner fish are thorough, but some parasites are beyond even them.
So the sunfish seeks out a specialist-a seagull.
The gull surgically hacks into the sunfish's flesh...and snaps up the last remaining holdouts.
Finally free and clear, the sunfish can go back to feeding.
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