Common dolphinfish (mahi-mahi)
Coryphaena hippurus
Valid name.
- English
- Common dolphinfish (mahi-mahi)
- Scientific
- Coryphaena hippurus
- Dhivehi
- ފިޔަލަFiyala
- Maximum size
- Commonly to 1 m; maximum about 2 m and 40 kg
- Depth and habitat
- Open ocean surface waters, usually 0 to 10 m
- IUCN status
- LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2010
Description
A brilliantly coloured fish, electric blue-green on the back fading to gold on the sides, with a dorsal fin running almost the whole length of the body. Adult males develop a tall, square forehead. It grows extremely fast and lives only a few years. It hunts flying fish, squid and small fish near the surface, often gathering under floating debris. Despite the name it is not related to dolphins.
In the Maldives
Commonly caught by Maldivian fishermen offshore, especially around drifting logs and fish aggregating devices; Dhivehi Wikipedia notes juveniles are taken in large numbers near floating objects.
Sources
- fishbase.se /summary/Coryphaena-hippurus.html
- fao.org /4/AD471E/AD471E00.htm
- dv.wikipedia.org /wiki/ފިޔަލަ
- commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Common_Dolphinfish_Monterey_Bay.jpg
Dhivehi name source: M.R.S. (1997) Fishes of the Maldives, Marine Research Section, Malé (FAO/BOBP MAG/21); Thaana from Dhivehi Wikipedia (fish articles derived from the MRS 1997 Dhivehi edition).