A brilliantly colored, fast-growing pelagic predator of tropical seas, prized by sport anglers and chefs alike.
Where it lives
Mahi-mahi inhabit warm pelagic waters above 21 C across the world’s tropical and subtropical oceans. They favor open water but congregate around floating debris, weed lines (especially sargassum), and FADs that aggregate baitfish and offer juvenile shelter.
How to recognise it
A tall, laterally compressed body with a near-vertical forehead in males (“bulls”); females have a rounded forehead. Living fish flash electric blue, green, and gold across the flanks, with scattered dark spots — colors that fade quickly after capture. A single sail-like dorsal fin runs nearly the full length of the back.
Diet & behavior
Mahi-mahi are voracious surface hunters that take flying fish, ballyhoo, squid, and small tuna at high speed. They grow extraordinarily fast — reaching a meter in their first year — and rarely live more than four years.
Fisheries & Conservation
Globally Least Concern. Resilient to fishing pressure due to fast growth and high fecundity. A staple of sport fishing in the Caribbean and a popular menu fish (“dorado” or “dolphinfish”).
Find more fish by letter
Mahi-Mahi starts with M and ends with I. Browse other fish along the same letter.
Fish that contain a letter from "Mahi-Mahi":