Rare Hoodwinker Sunfish Emerges on California Shore, Redrawing Its Range

A rare hoodwinker sunfish, Mola tecta, washed ashore at Doran Regional Park during a Northern California beach cleanup, a finding that challenges assumptions about the species’ range. Described in 2017 and distinct from the common mola, its presence off the U.S. West Coast hints at wider, less-understood migrations, while strandings provide scientists with data on movement and currents; observers are urged to document sightings from a distance and report to wildlife authorities.