One of the world’s weirdest fish has been captured making a rare appearance near the surface.
With its bulbous eyes, flat body and tiny fins, the Mola Mola is an unusual sight in the blue waters of California.
But short of shying away from the camera the fish appeared to strike a pose.
The photographs of the bizarre-looking ocean sunfish were taken by experienced diver Daniel Botelho.
Mr Botelho has spent years photographing the intriguing species all over the world.
Despite their large and intimidating presence, he found the fish to be friendly and gentle – with one even following him like a pet.
The 34-year-old said: ‘They are usually very shy but once they get used to you they can follow you like a pet.
“In my case I had a gentle Mola Mola following me all the time until I got back to the boat. It reminded me of my dog.
“I have a special affection for Mola Molas, I love them and I am always looking for the challenge of interacting and photographing these fish.’
Mola Mola are the heaviest known bony fish in the world and weigh around 2,000lb. They can grow up to 13ft in length and cannot close their mouth fully.
They spend most of their days in deep waters but rise to the surface to be cleaned by other fish and birds.
Mr Botelho added: ‘They also cause a huge impact on people and I have several photos that have become viral on the internet just because people are amazed by the fish’s shape.
‘Some wrote to me attesting that they never even thought there could be such a fish in the seas.’
THE HEAVIEST BONY FISH IN THE WORLD WEIGHING UP TO 5,000LB
Sunfish, or Mola Mola, are the heaviest bony fish in the world.
The largest specimens can reach 14ft vertically and 10ft horizontally, weighing nearly 5,000lb.
Sunfish develop their truncated, bullet-like shape because they are born with a back fin that never grows. Instead, it folds into itself.
Mola in Latin means ‘millstone’ and describes the sunfish’s somewhat circular shape. They are a silvery color and have a rough skin texture.
They are found in temperate and tropical oceans around the world, and are often mistaken for sharks when their huge dorsal fins emerge above the water.
Their teeth are fused into a beak-like structure and they are unable to fully close their relatively small mouths.
Associated Newspapers Ltd