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| Mahi-mahi | |
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Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Carangiformes |
| Suborder: | Carangoidei |
| Family: | Coryphaenidae |
| Genus: | Coryphaena |
| Species: | C. hippurus |
| Binomial name | |
| Coryphaena hippurus | |
| Synonyms[2] | |
List
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Themahi-mahi (/ˌmɑːhiˈmɑːhi/MAH-hee-MAH-hee),[3]common dolphinfish,dolphin or dorado[4][2] (Coryphaena hippurus) is a surface-dwellingray-finned fish found in off-shoretemperate,tropical, andsubtropical waters worldwide. It is also widely calleddorado (not to be confused withSalminus brasiliensis, a freshwater fish) anddolphin (not to be confused with the aquatic mammaldolphin). It is one of two members of the familyCoryphaenidae, the other being thepompano dolphinfish. These fish are most commonly found in the waters around theGulf of Mexico,Costa Rica,Hawaii, and theIndian Ocean. In Italy it is called corifena, lampuga or pesce capone, and has even given its name to thecaponata though eggplant has now taken the place of the fish.
The namemahi-mahi comes from theHawaiian language[5] and means 'very strong', through the process ofreduplication.[6] Though the species is also referred to as the common dolphinfish, they are not related todolphins; The origin of the name "dolphinfish" is recent and was given to avoid confusion with dolphins, as the traditional name of the fish was also "dolphin". SeeCoryphaena for the possibleetymologies ofdolphinfish. In parts of the Pacific and along the English-speaking coast ofSouth Africa, the mahi-mahi is commonly referred to by its name inSpanish,dorado.[7] On theMediterranean island ofMalta, the mahi-mahi isreferred to as thelampuki. InIndonesian, they are calledikan lemadang. InSamoan this fish is called Masi-masi, which has the same meaning in the Hawaiian language.
Linnaeus named the genus, derived from the Greek word,κορυφή,koryphe, meaning 'top' or 'apex', in 1758. Synonyms for the species includeCoryphaena argyrurus,Coryphaena chrysurus, andCoryphaena dolfyn.[2]
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Mahi-mahi havecompressed bodies and one very longdorsal fin extending from the head almost to the tail fin.Mature males have distinctive "foreheads"; it grows as the fish matures and often protrudes well above the body proper, which isstreamlined by the musculature of the back. This "hump" is asexually dimorphic feature; females have a rounded head. Their caudal fins andanal fins are sharplyconcave. They are distinguished by dazzling colors –golden on the sides, and bright blues and greens on thesides and back. The pectoral fins of the mahi-mahi areiridescent blue. The flank is broad and golden.[8]
Out of the water, the fish often change color (giving rise to theirSpanish name,dorado, 'golden'), going through several hues before finally fading to a muted yellow-grey upondeath.
Mahi-mahi canlive 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 (3 ft) in length. They rarely exceed 15 kg (33 lb), and mahi-mahi over 18 kg (40 lb) are exceptional. Mahi-mahi are among thefastest-growing of fish. They spawn in warm ocean currents throughout much of the year, and their young are commonly found in rafts ofSargassum weeds. Young mahi-mahimigrate pastMalta where they are calledlampuki andSicily where they are known aslampuga orcapone; there they are fished using nets andfloating mats of palm leaves under which they collect.[citation needed]
Males and females aresexually mature in their first year, usually by the age of 4–5 months.Spawning can occur at body lengths of 20 cm (7.9 in). Females may spawn two to three times per year, and produce between 80,000 and 1,000,000 eggs per event. In waters at 28 °C (82 °F), mahi-mahi larvae are found year-round, with greater numbers detected in spring and fall.[9]Mahi-mahi fish are mostly found in thesurface water. Theirflesh is grey-white when raw, cooking to an attractive white with a clean,non-fishy flavour.[citation needed]
Mahi-mahi arecarnivorous, feeding onflying fish,crabs,squid,mackerel, and otherforage fish. They have also been known to eatzooplankton. Topursue such variedpelagic prey, mahi-mahi are fast swimmers, swimming as fast as 50 knots (92.6 km/h; 57.5 mph).[citation needed]
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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 theCaribbean Sea, on the west coast ofNorth andSouth America, the Pacific coast ofCosta Rica, theGulf of Mexico, theAtlantic coast ofFlorida andWest Africa,Indian Ocean,Bay of Bengal,South China Sea andSoutheast Asia,Hawaii,Tahiti, and many other places worldwide.[10][11][9]
Fishing charters most often look for floating debris andfrigatebirds 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 aroundfish buoys. Frigatebirds search for food accompanying the debris or sargasso. Experiencedfishing 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 whentrolling 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 livesardines 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 livechum, 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.[12]
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 swordfishcommercial fishing operators. Japan and Hawaii are significant consumers. TheArabian Sea, particularly the coast ofOman, also has mahi-mahi. At first, mahi-mahi were mostlybycatch in the tuna and swordfishlongline fishery. Now, they are sought by commercial fishermen on their own merits.
InFrench Polynesia, fishermen useharpoons, using a specifically designed boat, thepoti marara, to pursue it, because mahi-mahi do not dive. Thepoti 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 calledpagmamamataw.
Depending on how it is caught, mahi-mahi is classed differently by various sustainability rating systems:
The mahi-mahi is also a common vector forciguatera poisoning.[15] Although a very popular food dish in many parts of the world, there have been reports of ciguatera poisoning from human consumption of this fish. Ciguatera poisoning is caused by the accumulation of toxins (ciguatoxins andmaitotoxin) in the flesh of the fish over time. These are produced byGambierdiscus toxicus which grows together with marine algae, which causes fish like the mahi-mahi to consume them by accident.[16]
Mahi-mahi naturally have high levels ofhistidine, which is converted tohistamine whenbacterial growth occurs during improper storage or processing.[17] Subsequent cooking, smoking, or freezing does not eliminate the histamine. This leads to afoodborne illness known asscombroid food poisoning, which also affect other fish such astuna,mackerel,sardine,anchovy,herring,bluefish,amberjack andmarlin.[17] Symptoms are those ofhistamine intolerance and may includeflushed skin, headache, itchiness, blurred vision, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea,[17] and the onset of symptoms is typically 10 to 60 minutes after eating and can last for up to two days.[17] Rarely, breathing problems (like that ofallergic asthma) or anirregular heartbeat may occur.[17] Diagnosis is typically based on the symptoms and may be supported by a normal bloodtryptase.[18]
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