
Also known as:
Dolphin fish
Dorado
Common dolphinfish
Dolphin
Mahimahi
Mahi-mahi
Common Group Name:
Dolphinfishes
Family Name:
Coryphaenidae
Genus Name:
Coryphaenea
Species Name:
Coryphaenea hippurus
Dispatch Method:
The eating qualities of these fish is greatly improved if they are killed immediately by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding. Mahi mahi can be very energetic and therefore hard to handle. A firm knock on the head may be easier to implement to stun the fish first before attempting iki jime.
Fish Description:
- Body long, slender, laterally compressed with a single long dorsal fin extending from the head almost to the tail.
- Colour is iridescent blue-green above, silvery-golden below with small dark spots on sides.
- Male mahi mahi have a bony crest which gives them a very steep forehead that becomes more pronounced as they mature. Male fish tend to weigh significantly more than female fish of the same length.
- These fish grow very fast. Juvenile mahi-mahi can reach 60-90 cm (4-7 kg) in one year, 70-110 cm (10 kg) in 2 years and 90-130+cm (15+ kg) in the 3rd year.
- They mature in their first year when around 6 months old and spawn all year round at water temperatures above 21°C. Very few mahi mahi survive past 4 years.
Fish Distribution:
- This species is a truly oceanic predator that occurs offshore in all tropical and temperate oceans and in the Mediterranean Sea.
- There are actually two species of dolphinfish thoughout this range, mahi mahi and pompano dolphin (C. equiselis). Both have similar brain locations.
- Dolphinfish are more common in water temperatures between 26-30°C but can occur in waters as cold as 20°C.
- These fish often aggregate beneath floating objects, including weed lines, flotsam and Fish Attracting Devices.
Fish Size Common Length:
60-100 cm (24-40 inches), maximum size around 200 cm (6 feet 7 inches) and 40 kg (88 lb). IGFA world record 39.4 kg (87 lb) from Costa Rica.