PORT PHILLIP BAY


Mahi Mahi 

Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758

View scientific description and taxonomy

Scientific Details

Meristics.
Dorsal fin spines/rays: 50-65
Anal fin spines/rays: 25-30
Caudal fin rays: 17
Pectoral fin rays: 17-21
Ventral fin spines/rays: I, 5
Lateral line: 196-320
Gill rakers: (lower limb) 8-11
Vertebrae: 31

Interpreting fin count meristics.
Spines are in Roman numerals and soft rays are in Arabic numerals. Spines and rays that are continuous in one fin are separated by a comma. Fin sections are separated by semicolons.

Detailed descriptions of fin count and other meristics are in:
Gomon. M.F., Bray, D.J. & Kuiter, R.H. (eds) (2008) Fishes of Australia's Southern Coast. Sydney : Reed New Holland 928 pp.

Order level detail.
A large and highly diverse group of modern bony fishes many of which have a generalized perch like body form. Most have pelvic fins with one spine and 5 rays and the maxillary bone is excluded from the gape of the mouth. Interrelationships of the group are poorly understood and continue to be studied. They inhabit almost all aquatic habitats from high-altitude strams to the deep sea, although most are marine.

Family level detail.
Streamlined oceanic fishes, with a long, very compressed body, a long-based continuous dorsal fin from the head almost to tail base, long pelvic fins and a large deeply forked tail. Females with a rounded forehead, males with a steep blunt forehead, becoming very steep in adult males.

Taxonomy

Phylum:
Chordata
Subphylum:
Craniata
Superclass:
Gnathostomata
Class:
Actinopterygii
Order:
Perciformes
Family:
Coryphaenidae
Genus:
Coryphaena
Species:
hippurus

General Description

Iridescent blue-green above, silvery-golden below with small dark spots on sides, dorsal fin dark green to deep blue; other fins usually yellow to orange. To 2 m.

Biology

This species often aggregates beneath floating debris, Sargassum, or around structures such as oil rigs. It is an important commercial and recreational species and is considered excellent eating. It is a very fast swimmer and feeds mostly on smaller pelagic fishes such as flyingfishes and garfishes.

Habitat

A pelagic open-ocean species found in tropical and warm temperate waters, rarely ventures inshore.

Open water

Distribution guide

Worldwide.

Species Group

Fishes › Dolphinfishes

Depth

Shallow (1-30 m)
Deep ( > 30 m)

Max Size

2 m

Commercial Species

No

Global Dispersal

Recorded in Australia

Conservation Status

  • DSE Advisory List : Not listed
  • EPBC Act 1999 : Not listed
  • IUCN Red List : Least Concern

Author

article author Bray, D.J.

Di Bray is a Senior Collection Manager of ichthyology at Museum Victoria.

Author

article author Gomon, M.F.

Dr. Martin Gomon is a Senior Curator of ichthyology at Museum Victoria.

citation

Cite this page as:
Bray, D.J. & Gomon, M.F., 2011, Mahi Mahi, Coryphaena hippurus, in Taxonomic Toolkit for marine life of Port Phillip Bay, Museum Victoria, accessed 25 Feb 2025, http://136.154.202.208:8098/species/6374

Text: creative commons cc by licence