Mahi-mahi
Mahi-mahi | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Carangiformes |
Family: | Coryphaenidae |
Genus: | Coryphaena |
Species: | C. hippurus
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Binomial name | |
Coryphaena hippurus | |
Synonyms[2] | |
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The mahi-mahi (
Nomenclature
The name mahi-mahi comes from the Hawaiian language[4] and means 'very strong', through the process of reduplication.[5] By chance in Persian, mahi (ماهی) means 'fish', but the word mahi-mahi is Hawaiian. Though the species is also referred to as the common dolphinfish, the use of dolphin can be misleading as they are not related to dolphins; see Coryphaena for the possible etymologies of dolphinfish. In parts of the Pacific and along the English-speaking coast of South Africa, the mahi-mahi is commonly referred to by its name in Spanish, dorado.[6] On the Mediterranean island of Malta, the mahi-mahi is referred to as the lampuka. In Indonesian, they are called ikan lemadang.
Linnaeus named the genus, derived from the Greek word, κορυφή, koryphe, meaning 'top' or 'apex', in 1758. Synonyms for the species include Coryphaena argyrurus, Coryphaena chrysurus, and Coryphaena dolfyn.[2]
Description
Mahi-mahi have
Mahi-mahi can live for up to five years, although they seldom exceed four. Females are usually smaller than males. Catches typically are 7 to 13 kg (15 to 29 lb) and a meter in length. They rarely exceed 15 kg (33 lb), and mahi-mahi over 18 kg (40 lb) are exceptional. Mahi-mahi are among the fastest-growing of fish. They spawn in warm ocean currents throughout much of the year, and their young are commonly found in rafts of Sargassum weeds. Young mahi-mahi migrate past Malta where they are called lampuki and Sicily where they are known as lampuga or capone; there they are fished using nets and floating mats of palm leaves under which they collect.
Mahi-mahi are carnivorous, feeding on flying fish, crabs, squid, mackerel, and other forage fish. They have also been known to eat zooplankton. To pursue such varied pelagic prey, mahi-mahi are fast swimmers, swimming as fast as 50 knots (92.6 km/h, 57.5 mph).[citation needed]
Males and females are
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Mahi-mahi in a fish market
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Closeup
Relation to humans
Fishing
Recreational fishing
Mahi-mahi are highly sought for sport fishing and commercial purposes. Sport fishermen seek them due to their beauty, size, food quality, and healthy population. Mahi-mahi can be found in the
Fishing charters most often look for floating debris and frigatebirds near the edge of the reef in about 120 feet (37 m) of water. Mahi-mahi (and many other fish) often swim near debris such as floating wood, five-gallon bucket lids, palm trees and fronds, or sargasso weed lines and around fish buoys. Frigatebirds search for food accompanying the debris or sargasso. Experienced fishing guides can tell what species are likely around the debris by the birds' behavior.
30-to-50-pound (14 to 23 kg) gear is more than adequate when trolling for mahi-mahi. Fly-casters may especially seek frigatebirds to find big mahi-mahis, and then use a bait-and-switch technique. Ballyhoo or a net full of live sardines tossed into the water can excite the mahi-mahis into a feeding frenzy. Hookless teaser lures can have the same effect. After tossing the teasers or live chum, fishermen throw the fly to the feeding mahi-mahi. Once on a line, mahi-mahi are fast, flashy, and acrobatic, with beautiful blue, yellow, green, and even red dots of color.
Commercial fishing
The United States and the Caribbean countries are the primary consumers of this fish, but many European countries are increasing their consumption every year.[citation needed] It is a popular food fish in Australia, usually caught and sold as a byproduct by tuna and swordfish commercial fishing operators. Japan and Hawaii are significant consumers. The Arabian Sea, particularly the coast of Oman, also has mahi-mahi. At first, mahi-mahi were mostly bycatch in the tuna and swordfish longline fishery. Now, they are sought by commercial fishermen on their own merits.
In French Polynesia, fishermen use harpoons, using a specifically designed boat, the poti marara, to pursue it, because mahi-mahi do not dive. The poti marara is a powerful motorized V-shaped boat, optimized for high agility and speed, and driven with a stick so the pilot can hold his harpoon with his right hand. The method is also practiced by fishermen in the Philippines, especially in the northern province of Batanes, where the harpooning is called pagmamamataw.
Environmental and food safety concerns
Depending on how it is caught, mahi-mahi is classed differently by various sustainability rating systems:
- The Monterey Bay Aquarium classifies mahi-mahi, when caught in the US Atlantic, as a best choice, the top of its three environmental-impact categories. The aquarium advises to avoid imported mahi-mahi harvested by long line, but rates troll and pole-and-line caught as a good alternative.
- The Natural Resources Defense Council classifies mahi-mahi as a "moderate mercury" fish (its second-lowest of four categories), and suggests eating six servings or fewer per month.[9]
The mahi-mahi is also a common vector for
Mahi-mahi naturally have high levels of
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Bull (male) mahi-mahi
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Mahi-mahi are attracted to Sargassum, floating brown algae that serve as both a hiding place and source of food. Lines of this genus can stretch for miles along the ocean surface.
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Grilled mahi-mahi
References
- . Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Coryphaena hippurus" in FishBase. August 2019 version.
- ^ "Dictionary.com: define Mahi-mahi".
- University of Hawaii Press.
- ^ "mahimahi". Te Aka Māori Dictionary. Retrieved 2022-09-02.
- ^ "Fish detail". WWF SASSI. Retrieved 2018-05-31.
- ^ Dianne J. Bray, 2011, Mahi Mahi, Coryphaena hippurus, in Fishes of Australia, accessed 07 Oct 2014, http://www.fishesofaustralia.net.au/home/species/1730
- ^ Bostwick, Joshua (2000). "Coryphaena hippurus". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
- ^ "Consumer Guide to Mercury in Fish".
- ^ "Ciguatera Fish Poisoning (CFP)". Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. Archived from the original on 2006-11-25. Retrieved 2010-01-04.
- ^ "Dolphinfish". Florida Museum of Natural History. 2019. Retrieved June 2, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e "Food Poisoning from Marine Toxins - Chapter 2 - 2018 Yellow Book". CDC. 2017. Retrieved 1 June 2018. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- S2CID 21610715.
Further reading
- Atlantic Mahi Mahi NOAA FishWatch. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
- Pacific Mahi Mahi NOAA FishWatch. Retrieved 11 November 2012.
External links
- Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2004). "Coryphaena hippurus" in FishBase. October 2004 version.
- Dolphinfish Monterey Bay Aquarium
- Oceana's Sustainable Seafood Guide
- Dolphinfish Florida Museum
- Dolphinfishes from iNaturalist