What Is The Scientific Name Of Common Dolphinfish? (ANSWER)

SCIENTIFIC NAME OF COMMON DOLPHINFISH – In this topic, we are going to know and identify the scientific name of common dolphinfish.

Also known as mahi-mahi, dorado and dolphin, it is a surface-dwelling ray-finned fish of the dolphinfish family Coryphaenidae.

The fish is one of the two members of the family, with the other being pompano dolphinfish (Coryphaena equiselis). Its name mahi-mahi is derived from the Hawaiian language which means “very strong”.

The fish has a compressed body and a single long-based dorsal fin extending from the head almost to the tail. When mature, males have prominent foreheads protruding well above the body proper while females have a rounded head.

When out of the water, it usually changes color hence, giving rise to their Spanish name dorado, which means golden.

The fish can life up to five years and rarely exceeded four. The fish are highly sought for sport fishing and commercial purposes. They were sought for their beauty, size, food quality, and healthy population and can be found in the Caribbean Sea, on the west coast of North and South America, the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, and the Gulf of Mexico, among others.

Scientific Name

The binomial name of mahi-mahi is Coryphaena hippurus.

Coryphaena is a genus of dolphinfishes in the Coryphaenidae family. It is derived from the Greek word koryphe, which means “top” or “apex“.

The specific epithet hippurus, on the other hand, is derived from the Ancient Greek term hippos, which means ‘horse’.