Atlantic mahi mahi. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Atlantic mahi mahi. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
About the Species
Atlantic mahi mahi. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Atlantic mahi mahi. Credit: NOAA Fisheries
Mahi mahi are highly sought for sport fishing and commercial purposes. They are pelagic fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical, andsubtropical waters. Mahi dishes have become a staple in many restaurants, though much of what we see in restaurants and grocery stores across thecountry 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 stockand a stock contained in the Puerto Rico Dolphinfish Complex. According to the most recent stock assessments:
- For the South Atlantic stock, scientists conducted an exploratory assessment of mahi mahi in 2000 and determinedthe stock was not overfished and not subject to overfishing.
- 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 calledSargassum.
- 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 calledSargassum(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 stockof 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 the U.S. Caribbean, managed under thePuerto Rico Fishery Management Plan, theSt. Croix Fishery Management Plan, and theSt. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plan:
- Commercial and recreational annual catch limits in Puerto Rico and commercial annual catch limits in St. Croix and St. Thomas/S. John.
Harvest
- Commercial fishery:
- In 2022, commercial fishermen harvested approximately 210,000 pounds of mahi mahi in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexicovalued at $825,000, according to the NOAA Fisheriescommercial 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 9.7million 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 calledSargassum(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 stockof 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 the U.S. Caribbean, managed under thePuerto Rico Fishery Management Plan, theSt. Croix Fishery Management Plan, and theSt. Thomas and St. John Fishery Management Plan:
- Commercial and recreational annual catch limits in Puerto Rico and commercial annual catch limits in St. Croix and St. Thomas/S. John.
Harvest
- Commercial fishery:
- In 2022, commercial fishermen harvested approximately 210,000 pounds of mahi mahi in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexicovalued at $825,000, according to the NOAA Fisheriescommercial 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 9.7million 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 |
|---|
Last updated by NOAA Fisheries on 02/16/2024
