Video: Man rides gigantic Mola fish 'like a horse'

A man has been filmed riding a huge Mola mola fish off the waters off the coast of Mexico.

The angler, called Cliff, was out fishing with friends when they saw the creature. Cliff's friends reportedly bet him $20 to try and ride it.

According to Outdoor Hub, the man suffered some barnacle burns as well as picking up some parasites that were attached to the fish.

The video caption read: "They started as strangers but ended up as good friends. The Mola mola was not harmed although Cliff had some barnacle burn - ouch!"

The Daily Mail reports that the Mola returned to the boat several times after the 'ride', perhaps using it to "backscratch", or rub some of its parasites off.

The Mola mola (or ocean sunfish) are the heaviest of all the bony fish, with large specimens reaching 14 feet (4.3m) vertically and 10 feet (3m) horizontally and weighing nearly 5,000 pounds (2,300kg).



Mola mola are found in temperate and tropical oceans around the world. They are frequently seen basking in the sun near the surface and are often mistaken for sharks when their huge dorsal fins emerge above the water.

They can become so infested with skin parasites, they will often invite small fish or even birds to feast them. Sunfish will even breach the surface up to 10 feet (3m) in the air, in an attempt to shake the parasites. Or, in some cases like this, they will rub up against boats to try and shake them off.

The animals are harmless to people but, of course, it should be pointed out that experts advise humans not to touch marine animals to avoid injury to the creature or the human.

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