---
title: "Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus) | AnimalTracks.wiki"
description: "A gold-and-blue ocean sprinter that can pass 4 feet long in its first year."
image: "https://animaltracks.wiki/images/animals/mahi-mahi-1.webp"
published: "2026-10-10"
updated: "2026-10-10"
---
# Mahi-Mahi (*Coryphaena hippurus*)
> **Status**: Checked against 5 sources, listed under Sources below.
> **Tagline**: A gold-and-blue ocean sprinter that can pass 4 feet long in its first year.
> **Soundtrack Vibe**: 80s Pop & Dance Anthem // Alphaville, "Forever Young"
> **Soundtrack Links**: [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/track/4S1VYqwfkLit9mKVY3MXoo)
> **Vibe Match**: Mahi-mahi can pass 4 feet in their first year, and NOAA says they live up to 5 years. Forever Young is a synth-pop anthem about a life that runs fast and short.
## Biological Superpowers & Stats
- **Taxonomy**: *Coryphaena hippurus*
- **Danger Level**: Low
- **Conservation Status**: Least Concern ([IUCN Red List](https://doi.org/10.2305/iucn.uk.2011-2.rlts.t154712a4614989.en))
- **Superpower**: Grows over 4 feet long in its first year.
- **Habitat**: Warm open ocean worldwide, found offshore under floating objects, sometimes Sargassum weed.
- **Diet**: Mostly bony fish, especially flying fish, plus squid and crustaceans.
- **Tags**: fish, ocean, pelagic, carnivore, predator
## Natural History & Behavior
## Four feet in a year
NOAA Fisheries calls it one of the fastest-growing fish in the ocean, capable of passing 4 feet in its first year and 6 feet within four. The *Coryphaena hippurus* sprint ends early, though: NOAA Fisheries says they live up to 5 years.
A typical adult is about 3 feet (1 m) long and weighs 30 pounds (14 kg). The big ones are another story. The Florida Museum puts the world record at 87 pounds (39.5 kg), and FishBase lists a maximum length of 210 cm.
## Gold, blue and fading fast
Underwater it is a lightning show: golden sides, with irregular patches of metallic blue and green on the back. The colour does not last once the fish is caught. The Florida Museum notes that a fresh-caught fish changes colour quickly, fading to uniform silver.
Mature males also grow a prominent bony ridge at the front of the head. Despite the nickname dolphin, the fish is not related to the marine mammals.
## Hunting the weed line
Mahi-mahi live near the surface, at depths of 0 to 85 m. Floating mats of Sargassum weed (a drifting brown seaweed) and other floating objects draw them in. They feed mainly during the day and rely on vision to find prey.
> **Fast food for a fast fish**
> Adults eat mostly bony fish, and flying fish make up approximately 25% of their food by weight.
The Florida Museum describes dolphinfish as swift-moving, agile predators that often hunt in pairs or small packs. Small ones travel in schools of a few fish to over 50, while the larger adults travel alone or in pairs. Life in the open ocean has its own danger: marlin, tuna and sailfish are among their predators, and the Florida Museum says dolphinfish are commonly seen with holes pierced through them by marlin bills.
## Everywhere warm
The species lives in tropical and subtropical waters across the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans, and FishBase gives a range from 50°N to 40°S. NOAA says Atlantic mahi mahi can reproduce at 4 to 5 months old, and are believed to spawn every 2 to 3 days in the spawning season, releasing 33,000 to 66,000 eggs each time.
The IUCN Red List rates the species Least Concern. NOAA says mahi mahi are highly sought for sport fishing and commercial purposes.
## Frequently Asked Questions
### Is a mahi-mahi a dolphin?
No. The Florida Museum says the fish sometimes called dolphin is not related to the marine mammal of that name, which belongs to the family Delphinidae. Mahi-mahi is the Pacific name used to sell it. *(Source: [Florida Museum of Natural History, Discover Fishes]())*
### How fast does a mahi-mahi grow?
Very fast. NOAA Fisheries ranks it among the ocean's fastest-growing fish: one can top 4 feet before its first birthday and 6 feet by age four. *(Source: [NOAA Fisheries]())*
### How big can a mahi-mahi get?
FishBase lists a maximum length of 210 cm and a maximum published weight of 40 kg. A typical adult is far smaller, about 1 m long. *(Source: [FishBase]())*
## Sources
1. [Collette et al. (2011). Coryphaena hippurus. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2011: e.T154712A4614989.]()
2. [Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus). Florida Museum of Natural History, Discover Fishes.]()
3. [Pacific Mahimahi. NOAA Fisheries.]()
4. [Atlantic Mahi Mahi. NOAA Fisheries.]()
5. [Coryphaena hippurus, Common dolphinfish. FishBase.]()
*Published October 10, 2026. Last updated October 10, 2026.*
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