Species identification of sunfish specimens (Genera Mola and Masturus, Family Molidae) from Australian and New Zealand natural history museum collections and other local sources.

This data-in-brief comprises a summary of sunfish specimens (Genera Mola and Masturus, Family Molidae, >29 cm total length) from natural history museum collections and other sources, such as strandings, in Australia and New Zealand. Each specimen was evaluated morphologically and identified to lowest possible taxon based on recent advances in the understanding of the Mola taxonomy. References to phylogenetic analyses, where applicable, are included. The summary was collated in support of publication Giant jelly eaters on the line: species distribution and bycatch of three dominant sunfishes in the Southwest Pacific[1].

Specifications Table

Value of the data

Provides a comprehensive overview, including images, of sunfish specimens (genera Mola and Masturus) currently held in museum collections in Australia and New Zealand.

Includes specimens not lodged with a museum, but for which samples are held by the authors.

Resolves several errors in sunfish species identities of museum specimens, based on recent advances in the taxonomic understanding of the genus Mola.

Provides information for researchers on where specimens and samples are held, for future research and collaboration.

Data

Table 1 lists material of ocean sunfishes (genera Mola and Masturus > 29 cm) held in Australian and New Zealand natural history museum collections. Table 2 lists specimens from Australian and New Zealand obtained from other sources, but which are not lodged with a natural history museum. The tables contain specimen detail, morphological assessment, Accession numbers for genetic sequences and references to phylogenetic studies, where applicable, and a verified or updated species identity. Table 3, Table 4 contain images, where available, of specimens in Table 1, Table 2.

Table 1

Whole museum specimens (>29 cm), and other Mola spp. and Masturus lanceolatus (Liénard, 1840) material identifiable to species level, held in collections in Australia and New Zealand. Museum codes according to Sabaj (2016), except ABTC (Australian Biological Tissue Collection), OMNZ (Otago Museum) and WRM (Whanganui Regional Museum). State/country abbreviations are New South Wales (NSW), New Zealand (NZ), Northern Territory (NT), South Australia (SA), Tasmania (TAS), Victoria (VIC), Western Australia (WA), Queensland (QLD). Species identity established from morphology (MORPH), and/or phylogeny (PHYL) based on mtDNA D-loop and/or Cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) loci. Taxonomic features assessed in person (pers), via photographs (photo) and/or X-rays (xray): protruding snout (PS), head bump (HB), chin bump (CB), dorso-lateral ridge (DLR), ventro-lateral ridge (VLR), clauvs shape (CS), smooth band back-fold (SBBF), number of ossicles (NOs), state of paraxial ossicles (POs), scale morphology (SM). Some features could not be assessed (n/a).

Museum registration number and specimen details	Basis for specimen identification in this study; DNA sequence accession numbers in parentheses.	Original museum ID	Species reassignment
AIM MA29864, 51.1 cm TL, female, wet specimen, Poor Knights Islands, NZ (35.488°S 174.729°Ea) 8 November 1969.	MORPH (pers, xray): [6].	M. mola	M. tecta
AIM MA30933, 102 cm TL, cast, likely from NZ waters.	MORPH (pers): [6].	M. mola	M. tecta
AIM MA30934, 211 cm TL, cast, likely from NZ waters.	MORPH (pers): [3].	M. mola	M. alexandrini
AMS I.2742, 174 cm TLb, mounted skin, Manly Beach, NSW (33.800°S 151.283°E), purchased, November 1882.	MORPH (photo): PS present, HB & CB present, DLR & VLR n/a, CS rounded, SBBF n/a, NO n/a, POs n/a, SM n/a.	M. mola	M. alexandrini
AMS I.9412c, 254 cm TL, mounted skin in poor condition, restored in 2012, Manly, NSW (33.800°S 151.283°E), beach cast, 16 December 1882 (1883 in [2]).	MORPH (photo): PS present, HB & CB present (large), DLR & VLR: swollen, CS rounded, SBBF n/a, NOs n/a, POs n/a, SM n/a.	M. mola	M. alexandrini
AMS I.18215-001, 51.1 cm TL, wet specimen, East of Ulladulla, NSW (35.283°S 150.700°E), caught by FRV Kapala, 2 May 1973.	MORPH (photo): PS absent, HB & CB + DLR & VLR absent (consistent with small specimen), CS rounded, SBBF absent, NOs >5 (large), SM consistent with M. alexandrini immature scale morphology on specimen NMNZ P.056071. POs n/a.	M. ramsayi	M. alexandrini
AMS I.25630-001, 60 cm TL, wet specimen, Crowdy Head, NSW (31.000°S 153.000°E), trawler, September 1985.	MORPH (photo): PS absent, HB & CB + DLR & VLR absent (consistent with small specimen), CS rounded, SBBF absent, NOs >10 (large), SM consistent with M. alexandrini[3]. POs n/a.	M. mola	M. alexandrini
AMS I.38997-001, 250 cm TL, tissue & photographs, off Jervis Bay, NSW (35.05°S 150.733°E), caught on bow of MV “Goliath”, 13 October 1998.	MORPH (photo): PS absent, HB & CB + DLR & VLR present, CS rounded, SBBF absent. NOs n/a, POs n/a, SM n/a.	M. mola	M. alexandrini
	PHYL: JNSW-2 in [10] (D-loop: AB439109). Also in [1], [7], [8].
AMS I.41536-001, 178 cm TL, tissue & photographs, Narrabeen Beach, NSW (35.716°S 151.300°E), found alive in shallow waters in poor condition (euthanized), 11 September 2002.	MORPH (photo): PS absent, HB & CB absent, DLR short, VLR absent, CS rounded with indent, SBBF present, NOs 8d. POs n/a, SM n/a.	M. mola	M. tecta
	PHYL: NNSW-1 in [10] (D-loop: AB439108). Also in [1], [7], [8]. Submission to BOLD by AMS (CO1 sequence ID: AMS174-08), phylogenetic analysis in [6].
AMS I.42801-001, 175 cm TL, tissue & photographs, Sussex Inlet, NSW (35.150°S 150.600°E), beach cast, 21 August 2003.	MORPH (photo): PS present, HB & CB present (large), DLR & VLR slightly swollen (specimen not fresh), CS rounded, SBBF very faint, NOs >10. POs n/a, SM n/a.	M. ramsayi	M. alexandrini
	PHYL: SNSW-3 in [10] (D-loop: AB439110). Also in [1], [7], [8].
AMS I.44396-001, 170 cm TL, tissue & photographs, near Robe, SA (37.150°S 139.750°E), beach cast, August 2007.	MORPH (photo): CS with extension.	Ma. lanceolatus	Ma. lanceolatus
	PHYL: submission to BOLD by AMS (CO1 sequence ID: AMS124-08), phylogenetic analysis in [6].
CMC F228, 42 cm TL, wet specimen, Scarborough Beach, Christchurch, South Island (ca. 43.566°S 172.761°E), beach cast, NZ, 13 July 1964	MORPH (photo): presumably M. alexandrini from overall morphology, but insufficient characteristics visible on photograph to verify species identity.	M. mola	Mola sp.
CMC, no registration number available, mounted specimen.	Not assessed (no access).	M. mola	–
NMNZ P.001418, 60.2 cm TL, male, wet specimen, off Hawke’s Bay, NZ (39.417°S 177.100°E), June 1952.	MORPH (pers, xrays): [6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
NMNZ P.002629, 253.6 cm TL, cast (right side), Palliser Bay, NZ (ca. 41.442°S 175.008°E), 7 April 1930.	MORPH (pers): [3].	M. ramsayi	M. mola
NMNZ P.002980, 64.6 cm TL, male, wet specimen, North Rona Bay, Eastbourne, Wellington Harbour, NZ (41.267°S 174.917°E), drag net, 30 November 1960.	MORPH (pers): [6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
NMNZ P.005890, 49.9 cm TL, female, wet specimen, off Great Barrier Island, NZ (36.083°S 175.583°E), trawl 36–37 m, 25 June 1973.	MORPH (pers, xrays): [6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
NMNZ P.006126, 64.8 cm TL, female, wet specimen, Oriental Bay, Wellington Harbour, NZ (41.290°S 174.793°E), beach cast, 8 Dec 1974a.	MORPH (pers, xrays): [6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
NMNZ P.006345, 38.8 cm TL, male, wet specimen, off Te Kaha, Bay of Plenty, North Island, NZ (37.650°S 177.517°E), purse seine, 2 March 1976.	MORPH (pers, xrays): [3].	M. ramsayi	M. alexandrini
NMNZ P.009864, 121.6 cm TL, wet specimen, North of Cape Brett, North Auckland, NZ (34.917°S 174.567°E), purse sein, 27 January 1981.	MORPH (pers): CS with extension.	Ma. lanceolatus	Ma. lanceolatus
NMNZ P.009887, 38.5 cm TL, male, wet specimen, off North Cape, North Auckland, NZ (35.217°S 172.467°E), 5 February 1980.	MORPH (pers, xrays): [3].	M. ramsayi	M. alexandrini
NMNZ P.033995, 57.2 cm TL, male, wet specimen, Bay of Plenty, Opotiki Beach, NZ (37.750°S 177.333°E), November 1996.	MORPH (pers, xrays): [6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
NMNZ P.034187, 79.7 cm TL, male, wet specimen, Bay of Plenty, surf at Opotiki, NZ (37.750°S 177.333°E).	MORPH (pers, xrays): [6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
NMNZ P.034217, 69.8 cm TL, male, wet specimen, Bay of Plenty, Opotiki Beach, NZ (37.733°S 177.333°E), December 1996.	MORPH (pers, xrays): [6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
NMNZ P.034449, 51.5 cm TL, female, wet specimen, Southern Colville Ridge, Bay of Plenty, NZ (36.392°S 176.850°E), surface longline, 17 May 1997.	MORPH (pers, xrays):[3].	M. ramsayi	M. alexandrini
NMNZ P.036964, 45.3 cm TL, female, wet specimen, Off Mahia Peninsula, Hawke’s Bay, NZ (39.083°S 178.883°E), 13 May 1999.	MORPH (pers, xrays): [3].	M. ramsayi	M. alexandrini
NMNZ P.056054, 212.7 cm TL, male, wet specimen, Omaha Beach, north of Tawharanui Peninsula, North Auckland, NZ (36.350°S 174.785°E), beach cast, 14 May 2013.	MORPH (photo): CS with extension.	Ma. lanceolatus	Ma. lanceolatus
NMNZ P.056071, 29.3 cm TL, male, wet specimen (tissue P.056071/TS1), Off Raglan Harbour, Taranaki, NZ (37.728°S 174.168°E), trawl, 28 December 2012.	MORPH (pers): [3].	M. ramsayi	M. alexandrini
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158140; CO1: MF158118). Also in [1]) (D-loop).
NMNZ P.057679e, holotype, 101.1 cm TL, wet specimen (tissue P.057679/TS3), male, North Taranaki Bight, west coast of North Island, NZ (38.425°S 174.150°E), trawl, 78 m, 25 December 2015.	MORPH (pers, xrays): [6].	Mola sp. nov.	M. tecta
	PHYL: [6] (D-loop: MF158147; CO1: MF158119). Also in [1]) (D-loop).
NMV 32054, large, mounted skeleton, Port Phillip Bay, Hobsons Bay, VIC (37.850°S 144.930°E), 1879.	Not assessed (no access).	M. mola	–
NMV A 18725, 90.5 cm TL, wet specimen, Port Phillip Bay, VIC (37.8670°S 144.817°E), hook and line, 28 August 1995.	MORPH (pers): [6].	M. mola	M. tecta
NMV A 26565-001, 78.5 cm TL, wet specimen & tissue, 13th beach near Barwon Heads, VIC (38.286°S 144.456°E), beach cast, 30 April 2009.	MORPH (pers): [6].	M. ramsayI	M. tecta
	PHYL:[1] (D-loop: MG254032).
NMV A 30811-001, ca. 85 cm TL, tissue & photographs, Port Augusta power station, SA (ca. 32.545°S 137.788°E), beach cast, 23 September 2008.	MORPH (photo, xray): PS absent, HB & CB absent, VLR absent, DLR short, CS rounded with indent, SBBF present, NOs 6, POs separate.	Mola sp.	M. tecta
	PHYL[1] (D-loop: MG254031).
NMV A 25071-001, ca. 200 cm TL, skin sample & photographs (NMV A 25071-002), tissue (NMV Z 10859), Bunurong Marine Park (38.651°S 145.693°E), beach cast, 10 April 2003.	MORPH (photo): PS present (small), HB & CB present (small), DLR & VLR swollen, CS n/a, SBBF n/a, NOs n/a, POs n/a,SM n/a.	Mola sp.	M. mola (Pacific clade)
	PHYL:[1] (D-loop: MG254033). Submission to BOLD by NMV (CO1 sequence ID: FMVIC396-08), phylogenetic analysis in [6].
NMV A 31759-001, 170 cm, parts & photographs, tissue (NMV ZZ 61327), Lake Tyers mouth, East Gippsland, VIC (37.855°S 148.101°E), beach cast, 23 March 2017.	MORPH (photo): Body shape consistent with Ma. lanceolatus, but clavus damaged (CS n/a).	Ma. lanceolatus	Ma. lanceolatus
	PHYL:[1] (D-loop: MG254034).
NTM S.15520-001, 106.5 cm TL, wet specimen & tissue, Cobourg Peninsula, NT (11.117°S 132.150°E), beach cast, 7 February 2003.	MORPH (photo): CS with extension.	M. ramsayi	Ma. lanceolatus
	PHYL:[10] (D-loop: AB439120). Also in [1].
OMNZ VT3248, 242 cm TL, cast (left side) from fresh specimen, Otago Harbour, Dunedin, NZ (45.883°S 170.508°Ea), 1961.	MORPH (pers):[6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
OMNZ VT3249, 78 cm TL, cast (right side) from fresh specimen, Kaka Point, Clucha District, NZ, (46.367°S 169.733°E), beach cast, 7 March 1963.	MORPH (pers):[6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
OMNZ X2017.18, 58 cm TL, parts & photographs, Aramoana, NZ (45.766°S 170.696°E), beach cast, 9 July 2015. Tissue sample held by MN.	MORPH (photo): PS absent, HB & CB + DLR & VLR absent (consistent with small specimen), CS: rounded, SBBF absent, NOs >7 (large). SM n/a, POs n/a.	Mola sp.	M. alexandrini
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158135; CO1: MF158129). Also in [1] (D-loop).
OMNZ X2017.19, 169 cm TL, female, parts & photographs, Aramoana saltmarshes, Dunedin, NZ (45.782°S 170.711°Ea), beach cast, 18 January 2017. Tissue sample held by MN.	MORPH (photo): [6].	Mola sp.	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158136; CO1: MF158130). Also in [1] (D-loop).
QM I10163, 200 cm TL, cast, Burleigh Heads, Queensland, Australia (28.083°S 153.450°E), beach cast, 18 November 1968.	MORPH (photo): PS present (small), HB & CB present, DLR &VLR swollen, CS rounded, SBBF absent. NOs n/a, POs n/a, SM n/a.	M. mola	M. alexandrini
SAMA AMSTAC1924, presumably wet specimen, Brown’s Bay, SA (38.048°S 140.838°E), beach cast, 19 August 1982.	Not assessed (no access).	M. ramsayi	–
SAMA F243, ca. 134 cm TL, cast (left side), likely from SA, 1914	MORPH (photo): PS present, HB & CB present, DLR & VLR n/a, CS rounded, SBBF absent, NO n/a (features appear to have been lost during cast preparation), POs n/a, SM n/a.	M. mola	M. alexandrini
SAMA F6046, presumably wet specimen, Port River, Adelaide, SA (34.800°S 138. 517°E), 13 November 1982.	Not assessed (no access).	M. ramsayi	–
SAMA F7542, ca. 90 cm TL, wet specimen & tissue (ABTC21528), Spencer gulf, SA (34.780°S 138.480°E), 27 June 1994f.	MORPH (photo): [6].	M. ramsayi	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158148). Also in [1].
SAMA F8085, presumably wet specimen, Port Augusta, SA (32.500°S 137.783°E), beach cast, July 1996.	Not assessed (no access).	Mola sp.	–
SAMA F9303, presumably wet specimen, Victor Harbour, SA (ca. 35.549°S 138.627°E), November 1999.	Not assessed (no access).	M. mola	–
SAMA F3316 – F3319, parts, Spencer Gulf, (SA 35.717°S 137.950°E), 31 July 1965.	Not assessed (no access).	Ma. lanceolatus	–
TMAG D3693, ca. 200 cm TL, photographs, White Beach, Tasmania (43.120°S 147.740°E), beach cast, 2003.	MORPH (photo): PS present (small), HB & CB present, DLR & VLR swollen, CS rounded, SBBF absent. NO n/a, POs n/a, SM n/a.	M. mola	M. alexandrini
TMAG D3885, ca. 50 cm TL, frozen specimen, Randalls Bay, TAS (ca. 43.243 E 147.137 E), 2010.	MORPH (photo): presumably M. alexandrini from overall morphology, but insufficient characteristics visible on photograph to verify species identity. No access to specimen.	Mola sp.	Mola sp.
TMAG D3912, 150 cm TL, tissue & photographs, Lindisfarne, TAS (42.850°S 147.333°E), beach cast, 12 December 2014.	MORPH (photo): [6].	Mola sp.	M. tecta
	PHYL: [6] (D-loop: MF158149). Also in [1].
WAM P.33481-001, 138 cm TL, wet specimen, Augusta, WA (34.190°S 115.100°E), beach cast, August 2010.	MORPH (pers): present, HB absent, CB present (small), DLR short, VLR absent, CS rounded, SBBF present (very faint), NOs 11-12 (large), SM consistent with M. alexandrini. POs n/a.	M. ramsayi	M. alexandrini
WRM 1895.39, >200 cm TL, mounted skin (poor condition) Napier Harbour, NZ (ca. 39.482°S 176.894°E), ‘captured’, May 1895.	MORPH (photo): PS absent, HB & CB + DLR & VLR absent (features likely lost during extensive preparation and repair of specimen in poor condition), CS rounded, NO >10 (large). SM+POs n/a.	M. Mola	M. alexandrini
BMNH 1883.11.29.22, 229.1 cm TL, holotype of Orthragoriscus ramsayi, mounted skin restored in 2016, Darling Harbour, NSW (ca. 33.85°S 151.20°E) beach cast, 1882.	MORPH (pers):[3].	M. ramsayi	M. alexandrini

Updated since [6].

Total Length (TL) from [2].

Specimen recently found by AMS without a label in a storage facility; based on extensive research of old records AMS conclude this is most likely AMS I.9412, or alternatively AMS I.5312, which stranded ca. 1871-1874, probably in Manly Harbour (M. McGrouther, AMS, pers. comm. 2017), and was highly likely also a M. alexandrini[2].

Number of ossicles (NOs) from [9].

Included in sea surface temperature analysis in [1].

Collection year on current specimen label is 1989, but the collection authority considers this an error (R. Foster, SAMA, pers. comm. 2017).

Table 2

Australian and New Zealand Molidae material obtained from strandings and other sources. State/country abbreviations are New South Wales (NSW), New Zealand (NZ) and Western Australia (WA). Species identity established from morphology (MORPH), and/or phylogeny (PHYL) based on mtDNA D-loop and/or Cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) loci. Taxonomic features assessed in person by one or both authors (pers) or via photographs (photo).

Sample number and specimen detail	Basis for specimen identification; DNA sequence accession numbers in parentheses.	Species ID by sampler	Species ID in this study
NZ01, 212 cm TL, Otago Harbour, NZ (45.817°S 170.617°E), beach cast, 18 February 2015. Specimen not retained, tissue held by MN.	MORPH (photo): [6].	Mola sp. nov	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158134). Also in [1].
NZ07, 100 cm TL, Banks Peninsula, NZ (43.833°S 172.667°E), beach cast, 30 April 2014. Specimen not retained, tissue held by MN.	MORPH (photo): [6].	Mola sp. nov.	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158137; CO1: MF158120). Also in [1] (D-loop).
NZ08, 151 cm TL, Banks Peninsula, NZ (43.833°S 172.667°E), beach cast, 30 April 2014. Specimen not retained, tissue held by MN.	MORPH (photo): [6].	Mola sp. nov.	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158138; CO1: MF158121). Also in [1] (D-loop).
NZ09, 193 cm TL, Banks Peninsula, NZ (43.833°S 172.667°E), beach cast, 30 April 2014. Specimen not retained, tissue held by MN.	MORPH (photo): [6].	Mola sp. nov.	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158139; CO1: MF158122). Also in [1] (D-loop).
NZ12, 155 cm TL, female, Birdling’s Flat, Banks Peninsula, NZ (43.817°S 172.700°E), beach cast, 10 May 2014. Specimen not retained, tissue held by MN, skin sample and clavus held by ES.	MORPH (pers): [6].	Mola sp. nov.	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158141; CO1: MF158123). Also in [1] (D-loop).
NZ14, 170 cm TL, near Birdling’s Flat, Banks Peninsula, NZ (43.833°S 172.667°E), beach cast, 14 December 2015. Specimen not retained, tissue held by MN.	MORPH (photo): [6].	Mola sp. nov.	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158142; CO1: MF158124). Also in [1] (D-loop).
NZ16, 261 cm TL, Kaka Point, South Otago, South Island, NZ (46.417°S 169.783°E), beach cast, 9 October 2011. Specimen not retained, tissue held by MN.	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158143; CO1: MF158125). Also in [1] (D-loop).	M. mola	M. mola (Pacific clade)
NZ17a, 81 cm TL, male, west of South Island, NZ (41.533°S 170.933°E), purse seine, 12 April 2014. Specimen not retained, tissue held by MN, skin sample and clavus held by ES.	MORPH (pers): [6].	Mola sp. nov.	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158144; CO1: MF158126). Also in [1] (D-loop).
NZ18a,b, 65 cm TL, female, east of North Island, NZ (39.783°S 178.417°E), longline, 17 May 2014. Specimen not retained, genetic sample held by MN, clavus held by ES.	MORPH (pers): [6].	Mola sp. nov.	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158145 & CO1: MF158127). Also in [1] (D-loop).
NZ19a, 69 cm TL, male, east of North Island, NZ (35.150°S 176.050°E), longline, 10 August 2014. Specimen not retained, genetic sample held by MN, clavus held by ES.	MORPH (pers): [6].	Mola sp. nov.	M. tecta
	PHYL:[6] (D-loop: MF158146; CO1: MF158128). Also in [1] (D-loop).
WA41a, near Bremer Canyon, WA (ca. 34.667°S 120.133°E), propeller strike, 22 April 2015. Specimen not retained, tissue held by MN.	PHYL:[1] (D-loop: MG254030).	Mola sp.	M. alexandrini
NNZ-1b, ca. 100 cm TL, off North NZ (ca. 30.000°S 175.000°E), longline, July 2007. Specimen not retained, tissue held by ES.	PHYL:[3] (Electronic Supplementary Material Table S1) (D-loop: LC271189). Also in [1].	Molidae	M. alexandrini

Included in sea surface temperature analysis in [1].

Coordinates updated since [6].

Table 3

Photographs of museum specimens (Table 1). No photographs were available for specimens CMC (mounted specimen, no registration number), NNZ-1b, SAMA AMSTAC1924, NMV 32054, SAMA F6046, SAMA F8085, SAMA F9303, SAMA F3316 – F3319.

Table 4

Photographs of specimens from other sources (Table 2).

Experimental design, materials and methods

Museum collections

The sunfish collections held at Auckland War Memorial Museum Tamaki Paenga Hira (AIM), Wellington Museum Te Papa Tongarewa (NMNZ), Museums Victoria in Melbourne (NMV), Otago Museum in Dunedin (OMNZ), and Western Australian Museum in Perth (WAM) were examined in person, while material from the South Australian Museum in Adelaide (SAMA), Queensland Museum in Brisbane (QM), Canterbury Museum in Christchurch (CMC), Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in Darwin (NTM), Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery in Hobart (TMAG), Australian Museum in Sydney (AMS) and Whanganui Regional Museum (WRM) sunfish collections were examined via photographs and descriptions from examinations by museum staff or volunteers. The holotype of Orthragoriscus ramsayi Giglioli, 1883 [now Mola alexandrini (Ranzani, 1839)] held at the Natural History Museum in London (BMNH 1883.11.29.22), caught off New South Wales in 1882 [2], [3] and recently reviewed [3], was also included for completeness. Museum codes are according to [4] except OMNZ and WRM.

Other material

Sunfish from other sources, such as strandings, were examined in person by one or both of the authors, or by volunteers. In the latter case, the morphology was also assessed from photographs by the authors.

Morphological assessment

Specimen morphology was assessed against relevant and recent literature [3], [5], [6]. Each specimen was identified to the lowest possible taxon, noting that the two Mola mola (Linnaeus, 1758) clades (Pacific vs Atlantic) [1], [8], [9] cannot be distinguished morphologically from the currently available literature [4]. For specimens examined from photographs, as many characters as possible were assessed, and a specimen identification assigned when a subjectively satisfactory combination of clear traits was available. Some of these specimens were also included in the description of Mola tecta Nyegaard, Sawai, Gemmell, Gillum, Loneragan, Yamanoue, Stewart, 2017, and re-description of Mola alexandrini [3]. Several specimens have also been included in various phylogenetic analyses elsewhere (Table 1, Table 2).

The following taxonomic features were assessed:

Protruding snout (SN) – present / absent

Head bump (HB) – present / absent

Chin bump (CB) – present / absent

Dorso-lateral ridge (DLR) – swollen / absent

Ventro-lateral ridge (VLR) – swollen / absent

Smooth band back-fold (SBBF) – present / absent

Clauvs shape (CS) – lobed, wawy / rounded / rounded with a small indent

Number of ossicles (NOs)

Paraxial ossicles (POs) – merged or separate

Scale morphology (SM) – according to [3]

Subject area	Biology
More specific subject area	Systematics, taxonomy, morphology
Type of data	Tables, images
How data was acquired	Specimen morphology was assessed in person or from photographs. Phylogenetic information was sourced from published literature.
Data format	Summary incl. metadata, images
Experimental factors	n/a
Experimental features	n/a
Data source location	Specimens are from the coastline and coastal waters of Australia and New Zealand (11°S – 168°S; 113°E – 179°E), held in museum collections in Adelaide (SAMA), Auckland (AIM), Brisbane (QM), Christchurch CMC), Dunedin (OMNZ), Hobart (TMAG), Melbourne (NMV), Perth (WAM), Sydney (AMS), Wellington (NMNZ), and London, UK (BMNH). Other material from stranding events in Australia and New Zealand is also included.
Data accessibility	Information on museum specimen held in Australian collections is available from the Online Zoological Collections of Australian Museums (OzCam) (http://ozcam.org.au). Genetic sequences are accessible from GenBank at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) and/or the Barcode of Life Data (BOLD) System (http://www.boldsystems.org).