Talk:Mahi-mahi

Two species
There are actually two species in the family, but they're very much alike and can all be treated usefully in this one article, finesses naming problems. Stan 18:39, 26 Jan 2004 (UTC)

I thought that the Class was Osteichthyes .? mythrandir 18 March 2004


 * It's much debated - Osteichthyes as a class puts one in the position of saying all land vertebrates are types of bony fish, which is kind of stretching it. WP's info on all this could be clearer. Stan 22:37, 18 Mar 2004 (UTC)

But why is it debated when Osteichthyes includes only marine life and all land vertebrates nither have gills or can live in water. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Dapster (talk • contribs)

In cladistic terms, the taxon (superclass) Osteichthyes includes both the taxon (class) Actinopterygii, the fin-rayed fishes, and the taxon (class) Sarcopterygii, the lobed-fin fishes and tetrapods (all of the land animals). -- Donald Albury 16:22, 3 December 2006 (UTC)

Mahie-Mahie Australian?
Is Mahie-Mahie Australian?


 * No. The article states that "mahi-mahi" is from Hawaiian. --  Donald Albury ( Talk )  13:18, 29 July 2006 (UTC)

Translation of Mahi-Mahi?
One reference here says it means "stong-strong" in Hawaiian. The other says it means "fish-fish" in Persian. How can it possibly be both? Also, this article needs to ditch the antiquated "Trivia" section.--Heavy (talk) 20:08, 11 February 2008 (UTC)


 * The Hawaiian word mahi means “strong” and mahi mahi (literally, strong-strong) refers to dolphinfish/dorado. The Farsi 'mahi', meaning “fish,” has an Indo-Iranian origins. It is related to the words 'masya' in Avesta, 'mahik' in Pahlavi/Middle Persian, 'mastya' in Sanskrit, 'mohi' in Gilaki, and 'masi' in Lori and Kurdish.  It is a mere coincidence that the word 'mahi' exists in both Hawaiian and Persia, there is no linguistic relation. So whether 'mahi-mahi' means strong-strong or fish-fish is a matter of preference I guess.

I'm going to remove the reference to the coincidental meaning. It's only of interest to someone learning Persian, and is the kind of thing found in a trivia section. 50.30.140.100 (talk) 13:52, 16 September 2013 (UTC)

Mahimahi, Mahi-mahi or Mahi mahi
The article clearly states that the name should not be written "Mahi-mahi" or "Mahi Mahi" but rather "Mahimahi", yet the article heading is hyphenated. I don't know how to go about fixing it, but wouldn't it make more sense for this article to be entitled "Mahimahi"?


 * I am the one who, back in July 2008, originally (?) introduced the notion that there was some confusion about the spelling of this name. If I had known it would cause this much back-and-forth silliness, I never would have bothered. But the first usage in the text should either be spelled as a single word WITHOUT the hyphen, or the reference to it being a Hawaiian word should be omitted there (as this issue is addressed correctly later in the article). The Hawaiian interpretation is not hyphenated. The footnote there directs readers to a Hawaiian dictionary that has no entry for a hyphenated version. I would make the edit, but I am pretty disgusted with all the back and forth editing on this topic. Someone dutifully matched all the usages to a common style (hyphenated, because that is the preferred spelling in the two most widely accepted English language dictionaries). But the first example (now incorrectly labeled as a Hawaiian usage) is clearly then in error, as the text later explains: The word came from the Hawaiian unhyphenated spelling, and was accepted into English in two styles, the preferred version being disagreed upon by different authorities. Coedne (talk) 22:17, 13 September 2010 (UTC)Coedne


 * Here in the US, I've never encountered the spelling "mahimahi" in print. "Mahi mahi" is most common, followed by "mahi-mahi".

Mahi-mahi on the grill Mahi-mahi

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Mahi-mahi is a type of fish with the species name Coryphaena hippurus. They frequent warm waters and are typically found in areas like the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and Southeast Asia. The name is comes from the Hawaiian language and is appropriately spelled as one word: mahimahi. The two-word misspelling seems to have become more common, however. Mahi means "strong" in Hawaiian, and it was used for this particular fish because they are known for their fighting ability and strength. It's the fight in them that makes them a valuable catch for sports fisherman.

Until recently, mahi-mahi was frequently called a dolphin fish even though they are not related to dolphins and are not mammals. Since many people have negative associations with dolphin deaths associated with fishing, the other name is now more frequently used in stores and restaurants.

Mahi-mahi is an exceptional tasting fish, with a firm white flesh and a sweet flavor. It is less “fishy” tasting that many other fish, and is prized most by people in the US, Japan, and in the Caribbean. The fish has been gaining in popularity because a single animal can yield quite a few servings of meat. The typical specimen weighs about 20 pounds (9.07 kg), although some can be quite a bit larger, especially males. A few people have caught those that weigh over 50 pounds (22.68 kg).

The average life expectancy of the mahi-mahi is three to four years, and most grow quickly, reaching full size in the first year of life. The fish are carnivores, enjoying a diet of other small fish, squid, and crustaceans. They’re often at the near top of the food chain, but certainly make a tasty dish for sharks. They may elude the amateur fisherman and occasionally the shark, with their incredibly quick and powerful swim.

They’re also a rainbow mix of colors, flashing gold, blues, and greens that are quite striking. Males are recognized by large foreheads, while females have a smaller head. In both genders the fish have a somewhat flattened and squared-off head.

Mahi-mahi caught fresh from the ocean will yield the best taste, but the fish is often sold frozen. It’s sometimes used in place of swordfish, but on its own, it really doesn’t need to be disguised as something else. There are many recipes for preparing it, and cooks will often find it excellent in any recipe calling for a white fish. It is especially delicious in ceviche and fish tacos, and does very well when lightly seasoned and paired with lime or lemon juice.

Related Videos

Frescoes
Dolphin fishes can be seen on the frescoes from Knossos. Specially in the well known fresco of the dolphins. Dolphin fishes are swiming around the true dolphins. --Mcovas (talk) 19:03, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

Need new photos
All the photos on this page seem to be vanity shots. It would be nice to replace them with a photograph of the fish only. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 134.194.26.172 (talk) 14:03, 24 December 2009 (UTC)

Do we need so many photos of "sport" fishing jackasses posing with their trophies?172.191.152.79 (talk) 02:40, 21 May 2011 (UTC)

What is the best way to keep the fish fresh after being reeled in.
I would like to know the best way to keep fish fresh live well or Ice box and also if some one can post a safe way to unhook the fish with out killing it or losing a hook or lure. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 72.135.26.69 (talk) 03:00, 22 April 2010 (UTC)


 * A better place to ask questions like these is at the Reference desk. Article talk pages are for discussing how the article should be written. --Epipelagic (talk) 03:12, 22 April 2010 (UTC)

Split a section
The general information in the Nomenclature section should probably be placed in a new section, since it has nothing to do with nomenclature. 184.32.68.55 (talk) 18:50, 6 April 2011 (UTC)
 * ✅ Nurg (talk) 00:32, 14 August 2011 (UTC)

Size? Body length?
How big/long do these fish grow? This information should be included, preferably in the "general characteristics" section. The German Wikipedia entry ("Goldmakrele") gives 130 to 180 centimeters, which would be about 50 to 70 inches. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 90.152.250.178 (talk) 22:08, 16 October 2011 (UTC)

Images
I'm curious as to why this article contains two more images when opened as a redirect to from 'mahimahi' link in comparison to being opened as a redirect to from the 'dolphin fish' link. Sorry for my Engrish as English is not my native language. Cheers. 212.248.42.90 (talk) 07:43, 18 April 2012 (UTC)

Submarine Warfare Insignia
Not sure if it is worth mentioning it in the article, but the US Navy's Submarine Warfare insignia (the whole badge is commonly called "dolphins" by sailors, used in various ways such as "He earned his dolphins.") uses two heraldric dolphinfish (Mahi-mahi). The submarine warfare qualification is considered an important qualification in the Navy, and the insignia also is often used as a symbol of the Navy's submarine force. Dolphinfish are also used extensively in other Navy submarine iconography, usually torqued (body bent into an S-shape) with body pointed downward but head facing horizontal. — al-Shimoni  (talk) 07:53, 26 May 2012 (UTC)

Persian for "fish"?
I removed a comment claiming that mahi comes from a Persian word meaning "fish". The etymological data already presented in the article clearly states that the term comes from the Hawaiian language, and is not related to Persian at all. Unless some data can be presented to corroborate the claim, I believe this should be excluded. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.28.32.184 (talk) 16:00, 16 May 2014 (UTC)

Correct. Just like the Persian "bad" meaning "bad", it's true but a complete coincidence. 172.10.227.39 (talk) 01:04, 23 August 2016 (UTC)


 * Coincidence?!!!!
 * Persian is an Indo-European language, which means that it has roots with some European languages. 2A02:A458:433C:0:2DDD:656F:A112:3FBA (talk) 19:47, 9 July 2024 (UTC)
 * And Hawaiian is an Austronesian language, which is a different group. MrOllie (talk) 19:51, 9 July 2024 (UTC)

Common name?
On what grounds is Mahi-mahi deemed to be the common name? &middot; &middot; &middot; Peter Southwood (talk): 16:59, 23 August 2023 (UTC)