Atlantic Mahi Mahi
Atlantic Mahi Mahi
Coryphaena hippurus
Quick Facts
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 Impact
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 four mahi mahi stocks and stock complexes: the South Atlantic, St. Croix, and St. Thomas/St. John stocks, and the Puerto Rico Dolphinfish Complex. Conducting a traditional stock assessment for mahi mahi is challenging due to the species’ short life span, highly migratory behavior, broad geographic distribution, and environmentally-driven abundance trends.
- For mahi mahi in the South Atlantic, scientists published an exploratory assessment in 2000 that was used to support a determination that the stock was not overfished and not subject to overfishing.
- St. Croix mahi mahi / dolphinfish has not been assessed, but is not subject to overfishing based on 2022 catch data.
- St. Thomas/St. John mahi mahi / dolphinfish has not been assessed, but is not subject to overfishing based on 2022 catch data.
- 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.
- In 2024, scientists began conducting a management strategy evaluation to explore management procedures for mahi mahi in the U.S. South Atlantic.
Appearance
Atlantic mahi mahi are brightly-colored fish—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 and females have a rounded head.
Atlantic mahi mahi can be 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 and are capable of reproducing at 4 to 5 months old. Mahi mahi are 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, these fish 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 of mahi mahi include large tuna, marine mammals, marlin, sailfish, and swordfish.
Where They Live
Range
Atlantic 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 (excluding imports) of mahi mahi comes from the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. The rest comes from the Pacific, mainly Hawaii.
Habitat
Atlantic mahi mahi live near the surface in tropical and subtropical waters. Juveniles swim together in schools while 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 Atlantic mahi mahi.
In the U.S. South Atlantic, mahi mahi are managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic. Regulations include:
- Permits are required to sell mahi mahi
- Minimum size limit for mahi mahi caught off the coasts of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina
- Recreational bag limits
- Commercial trip limits
- Annual catch limits
View detailed federal regulations for mahi mahi in the South Atlantic
In the U.S. Caribbean, mahi mahi are managed under the Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan, the St. Croix Fishery Management Plan, and the St. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plan. Regulations include:
- Annual catch limits in federal waters around Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas/St. John
Harvest
Commercial Fishery
In 2022, commercial fishermen harvested approximately 210,000 pounds of mahi mahi in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico valued at $825,000, 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 2022, recreational fishermen harvested 9.7 million pounds of mahi mahi in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico, according to the NOAA Fisheries recreational fishing landings database.
Scientific Classification
Atlantic 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 (excluding imports) of mahi mahi comes from the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean. The rest comes from the Pacific, mainly Hawaii.
Atlantic mahi mahi live near the surface in tropical and subtropical waters. Juveniles swim together in schools while 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 Atlantic mahi mahi.
In the U.S. South Atlantic, mahi mahi are managed under the Fishery Management Plan for the Dolphin and Wahoo Fishery of the Atlantic. Regulations include:
- Permits are required to sell mahi mahi
- Minimum size limit for mahi mahi caught off the coasts of Georgia, Florida, and South Carolina
- Recreational bag limits
- Commercial trip limits
- Annual catch limits
View detailed federal regulations for mahi mahi in the South Atlantic
In the U.S. Caribbean, mahi mahi are managed under the Puerto Rico Fishery Management Plan, the St. Croix Fishery Management Plan, and the St. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plan. Regulations include:
- Annual catch limits in federal waters around Puerto Rico, St. Croix and St. Thomas/St. John
Harvest
Commercial Fishery
In 2022, commercial fishermen harvested approximately 210,000 pounds of mahi mahi in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico valued at $825,000, 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 2022, recreational fishermen harvested 9.7 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.
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 mgSustainable Seafood Recipes
Looking for a new seafood recipe or an old favorite? If you need some cooking inspiration, browse these seafood recipes for main dishes, appetizers, sides, and more!
Seafood News
A chef prepares various finger foods made from squid fins in the Dr. Matthew Highlands Food Pilot Plant in Hitchner Hall at the University of Maine. Several chefs were invited to create dishes as part of a research project to develop new frozen foods made from squid fins. Photo courtesy of the University of Maine.
Seafood on ice for display. Credit: Shutterstock
Mussel longline aquaculture. Credit: Darryl Torckler