ABSTRACT: Ocean sunfishes or molas (Molidae) are difficult to study as a result of their extensive movements and low densities in remote waters. In particular, little is known of the environmental niche separation and differences in the reproductive or movement ecology of molids in sympatry. We investigated spatiotemporal dynamics in the distribution of the common mola Mola mola, sharptail mola Masturus lanceolatus, and slender mola Ranzania laevis in the eastern North Pacific. We used observer data from a commercial fishery consisting of 85000+ longline sets spanning 24 yr, >50° in longitude, and >45° in latitude. Satellite altimetry analysis, species distribution modeling, and multivariate ordination revealed thermal niche separation, spatiotemporal segregation, and distinct community associations of the 3 molid species. Our quantitative findings suggest that the common mola is a more temperate species, while slender and sharptail mola are more (sub)tropical species, and that slender (and possibly also sharptail) mola undergo spawning migrations to the region around the Hawaiian Islands. In addition, we identified potential effects of fishing gear type on molid catch probability, an increasing trend in catch probability of a vulnerable species perhaps related to a shift in the distribution of fishing effort, and the possible presence in the fishery of a fourth molid species being misidentified as a congener, all of which are important conservation considerations for these enigmatic fishes.

中文翻译：

---

北太平洋东部海洋翻车鱼物种（Mo科）的时空隔离

摘要：由于其在远洋中的广泛运动和低密度，很难研究海洋翻车鱼或mo鱼（（科）。尤其是，人们对环境生态位的分离以及在交配中的软体动物的生殖或运动生态学方面的差异知之甚少。我们在公共翻车的分布调查时空动力学曼波鱼，矛尾翻车鲀Masturus石斑鱼，修长翻车Ranzania蟾在北太平洋东部。我们使用了来自商业渔业的观察者数据，该数据包括85000多个延绳钓组，跨越24年，经度> 50°，纬度> 45°。卫星测高分析，物种分布建模和多元排序揭示了3种mo科物种的热生态位分离，时空隔离和独特的群落联系。我们的定量发现表明，普通的莫拉是温带物种，而细长的和尖尾的莫拉则是（亚）热带物种，并且细长的（甚至可能还有尖尾）的莫拉正在产卵移徙到夏威夷群岛周围的地区。此外，我们确定了渔具类型对捕捞可能性的潜在影响，