Atlantic Mahi Mahi
Atlantic Mahi Mahi
Coryphaena hippurus
Also Known As
Mahimahi, Dolphinfish, Dolphin, Dorado
Quick Facts
Region
New England/Mid-Atlantic,
Southeast
Atlantic mahi mahi. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Atlantic mahi mahi. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
About the Species
Mahi mahi are highly sought for sport fishing and commercial purposes. They are pelagic fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters. Mahi dishes have become a staple in many restaurants, though much of what we see in restaurants and grocery stores across the country comes from the Pacific.
Population
The South Atlantic stock is not overfished.
Fishing Rate
Not subject to overfishing.
Habitat Impacts
Fishing gear used to catch mahi mahi rarely contacts the ocean floor and has minimal impacts on habitat.
Bycatch
Regulations are in place to minimize bycatch.
Population Status
There are two stocks of dolphinfish: a South Atlantic stock and a stock contained in the Puerto Rico Dolphinfish Complex. According to the most recent stock assessments:
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For the South Atlantic stock, scientists conducted an exploratory assessment of mahi mahi in 2000 and determined the stock was not overfished and not subject to overfishing.
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Dolphinfish is managed as part of the Puerto Rico Dolphinfish Complex, The Complex has not been assessed, but the complex is not subject to overfishing based on 2019 catch data.
- Scientists assume populations are abundant because they are highly productive and widely distributed throughout tropical/subtropical oceans.
Appearance
- Brightly colored back is an electric greenish blue, lower body is gold or sparkling silver, and sides have a mixture of dark and light spots.
- Bright pattern fades almost immediately after mahi mahi is harvested.
- Adult males have a square head.
- Females have a rounded head.
- Distinguished from the pompano dolphin by its 55 to 66 dorsal fin rays and a very wide, square tooth patch on the tongue.
Biology
- Atlantic mahi mahi grow up to almost 7 feet and 88 pounds.
- They live up to 5 years.
- They are capable of reproducing at 4 to 5 months old.
- Believed to spawn every 2 to 3 days during the spawning season, releasing between 33,000 and 66,000 eggs each time.
- In the Atlantic, spawn under patches of floating brown algae called Sargassum.
- Mahi mahi are top predators that feed in surface water during the day.
- They eat a wide variety of species, including small pelagic fish, juvenile tuna, invertebrates, billfish, jacks, pompano, and pelagic larvae of nearshore, bottom-living species.
- Predators include large tuna, marine mammals, marlin, sailfish, and swordfish.
Where They Live
Range
- Mahi mahi are found in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean, and are caught from Massachusetts to Texas.
- About one-third of U.S. commercial harvest of mahi mahi comes from the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. The rest comes from the Pacific, mainly Hawaii.
Habitat
- Mahi mahi live near the surface in tropical and subtropical waters.
- Juveniles swim together in schools.
- Older fish are usually found alone.
- Larger males prefer open ocean habitat.
- Females and smaller males are commonly found near natural and artificial floating objects, including floating brown algae called Sargassum (in the Atlantic and the Caribbean).
Fishery Management
- NOAA Fisheries, the Caribbean Council, and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils) manage the Atlantic stock of Mahi mahi.
- Managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic:
- Permits are required to sell mahi mahi.
- Minimum size limit for mahi mahi caught off the coasts of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina to protect smaller fish.
- In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, dolphinfish in federal waters are managed under the Comprehensive Fishery Management Plan for the Puerto Rico Exclusive Economic Zone, and territorial regulations in each of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands:
Harvest
- Commercial fishery:
- In 2021, commercial fishermen harvested 172,000 pounds of mahi mahi in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico valued at $584,000, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.
- Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch:
- Hook-and-line gear (including handlines and longlines) is used for commercial harvest.
- Hook-and-line gear has minimal impact on habitat because it does not contact the ocean floor.
- Longlines can incidentally catch sea turtles, marine mammals, and other species.
- Longline fishermen follow measures to prevent bycatch and protect other species. These include using specific gear and safe handling techniques to reduce impacts on sea turtles, as well as not fishing in certain areas to protect species such as billfish.
- Recreational fishery:
- The mahi mahi fishery in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico has historically been recreational.
- In 2021, recreational fishermen harvested 10 million pounds of mahi mahi in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, according to the NOAA Fisheries recreational fishing landings database.
Scientific Classification
- Mahi mahi are found in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean, and are caught from Massachusetts to Texas.
- About one-third of U.S. commercial harvest of mahi mahi comes from the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. The rest comes from the Pacific, mainly Hawaii.
- Mahi mahi live near the surface in tropical and subtropical waters.
- Juveniles swim together in schools.
- Older fish are usually found alone.
- Larger males prefer open ocean habitat.
- Females and smaller males are commonly found near natural and artificial floating objects, including floating brown algae called Sargassum (in the Atlantic and the Caribbean).
Fishery Management
- NOAA Fisheries, the Caribbean Council, and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (in cooperation with the Mid-Atlantic and New England Fishery Management Councils) manage the Atlantic stock of Mahi mahi.
- Managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic:
- Permits are required to sell mahi mahi.
- Minimum size limit for mahi mahi caught off the coasts of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina to protect smaller fish.
- In Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, dolphinfish in federal waters are managed under the Comprehensive Fishery Management Plan for the Puerto Rico Exclusive Economic Zone, and territorial regulations in each of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands:
Harvest
- Commercial fishery:
- In 2021, commercial fishermen harvested 172,000 pounds of mahi mahi in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico valued at $584,000, according to the NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing landings database.
- Gear types, habitat impacts, and bycatch:
- Hook-and-line gear (including handlines and longlines) is used for commercial harvest.
- Hook-and-line gear has minimal impact on habitat because it does not contact the ocean floor.
- Longlines can incidentally catch sea turtles, marine mammals, and other species.
- Longline fishermen follow measures to prevent bycatch and protect other species. These include using specific gear and safe handling techniques to reduce impacts on sea turtles, as well as not fishing in certain areas to protect species such as billfish.
- Recreational fishery:
- The mahi mahi fishery in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico has historically been recreational.
- In 2021, recreational fishermen harvested 10 million pounds of mahi mahi in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, according to the NOAA Fisheries recreational fishing landings database.
Scientific Classification
| Kingdom | Animalia | Phylum | Chordata | Class | Actinopterygii | Order | Carangiformes | Family | Coryphaenidae | Genus | Coryphaena | Species | hippurus |
|---|
Featured News
Friends enjoying a recreational fishing trip where they caught two bull and one cow dolphinfish (Atlantic mahi mahi). Photo courtesy of Ellie Hartman
Participants in Wanchese, North Carolina help NOAA scientists understand how dolphinfish and wahoo fisheries function in their region by creating a conceptual model from sticky notes. Credit: NOAA Fisheries.
Photo contest winner Captain Barbara Evans with a great mahi mahi. Credit: B. Evans.
Swordfish skewers on the grill. Photo by Sam Wells, Chef Epic.
Related Species
Seafood Facts
Is Atlantic Mahi Mahi Sustainable?
U.S. wild-caught mahi mahi is a smart seafood choice because it is sustainably managed and responsibly harvested under U.S. regulations.
Availability
Year-round.
Source
Wild-caught from Massachusetts to Texas.
Taste
Mahi mahi has a sweet, mild flavor. For a milder flavor, trim away darker portions of the meat.
Texture
Mahi mahi is lean and fairly firm with large, moist flakes.
Color
The raw flesh is pinkish to grayish-white, although the flesh along the lateral line is dark. When cooked, the meat is off-white.
Health Benefits
Low in saturated fat and a good source of vitamin B12, phosphorus, and potassium.
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 1; Serving Weight: 100 g (raw); Calories: 85; Protein: 18.5 g; Total Fat: 0.7 g; Total Saturated Fatty Acids: 0.188 g; Carbohydrate: 0 g; Total Sugars: 0 g; Total Dietary Fiber: 0 g; Cholesterol: 73 mg; Selenium: 36.5 mcg; Sodium: 88 mgSeafood News
The Fishadelphia team. Credit: Dr. Talia Young.
