Mahi-mahi

Coryphaena hippurus · The mahi-mahi is a colorful, surface-dwelling ray-finned fish that lives in off-shore temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters worldwide.

Also called Common dolphinfish, Dorado, Common Dolphin Fish, Green Dolphin, Mahimahi.

Mahi-mahi
Photo: gendereuphorbia, CC0
Mahi-mahi
Photo: Citron, CC BY-SA 3.0
Mahi-mahi
Photo: no rights reserved, CC0

Taxonomy

KingdomAnimalia
PhylumChordata
ClassActinopterygii
OrderCarangiformes
FamilyCoryphaenidae
GenusCoryphaena
SpeciesCoryphaena hippurus

Where it lives

Warm tropical and subtropical open seas worldwide, often near floating debris.

Fun facts

  • Despite one of its common names, the dolphinfish is not related to dolphins.
  • Mahi-mahi can swim as fast as 50 knots (92.6 km/h) while chasing their varied prey.
  • Out of the water, a mahi-mahi changes color through several hues before fading to a muted yellow-grey.
  • A female mahi-mahi can lay between 80,000 and 1,000,000 eggs each time she spawns.

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Facts and taxonomy adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).