The
wahoo (
Acanthocybium solandri) is a dark blue
scombridScombridae is the family of the mackerels, tunas, and bonitos, and thus includes many of the most important and familiar food fishes. The family consists of about 55 species in 15 genera and two subfamilies...
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. Its speed and high-quality flesh make it a prize game fish. In
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
, the fish is known as
ono. Hispanic areas of the Caribbean and Central America call it Peto.
The body is elongated and covered with small, scarcely visible scales; the back is an iridescent blue-green, while the sides are silvery, with a pattern of vertical blue bars.
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The
wahoo (
Acanthocybium solandri) is a dark blue
scombridScombridae is the family of the mackerels, tunas, and bonitos, and thus includes many of the most important and familiar food fishes. The family consists of about 55 species in 15 genera and two subfamilies...
fishA fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is typically ectothermic , covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins...
found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. Its speed and high-quality flesh make it a prize game fish. In
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states, and is the only state made up entirely of islands. It is located on an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of Australia. The state was admitted to the Union on August...
, the fish is known as
ono. Hispanic areas of the Caribbean and Central America call it Peto.
Description
The body is elongated and covered with small, scarcely visible scales; the back is an iridescent blue-green, while the sides are silvery, with a pattern of vertical blue bars. These colors fade rapidly at death. The mouth is large, and both the upper and lower jaws have a somewhat sharper appearance than those of king or Spanish mackerel. Specimens have been recorded at up to 2.5 m (8 ft) in length, and weighing up to 83 kg (180 lb). Growth can be rapid. One specimen tagged at 5 kg (11 lb) grew to 15 kg (33 lb) in one year. Wahoo can swim up to 80 km/h (50 mph), Firestein and Walters, 1969. They are one of the fastest fish in the sea.
The wahoo may be distinguished from the related
king mackerelThe king mackerel is a migratory species of mackerel of the western Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. It is an important species to both the commercial and recreational fishing industries.-Description:...
by a fold of skin which covers the mandible when its mouth is closed. In contrast, the mandible of the king mackerel is always visible as is also the case for Spanish and Cero mackerels. Their teeth are similar to those of king mackerel, but shorter and more closely set together. Do not mistake Barracuda for Wahoo. Barracuda have prominent scales, are greenish in color and lack the characteristic blade-like tail characteristic of the mackerel/tuna family of fish.
Biology
Wahoo tend to be solitary or occur in loose-knit groups of two or three fish, rather than in schools. Their diet consists essentially of other fish and squid.
Most wahoo taken have a
trematodeThe Trematoda is a class within the phylum Platyhelminthes that contains two groups of parasitic worms, commonly referred to as flukes.-Taxonomy and biodiversity:...
parasite
(Hirudinella ventricosa) living in their stomach. It appears to do no harm to the fish.
Commercial usage
The flesh of the wahoo is white and delicate and regarded as high in quality. This has created some demand for the wahoo as a premium priced commercial
food fishSeafood is any sea animal or plant that is served as food and eaten by humans. Seafoods include seawater animals, such as fish and shellfish...
. However, because of its solitary lifestyle, it is caught commercially only as a by-catch in the long-line fishery for tuna and dolphin (
Mahi-mahiThe mahi-mahi also known as dolphin-fish or dorado, rakingo, calitos, maverikos, or lampuka are surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical and subtropical waters worldwide...
or dorado). Wherever found, it is a prized catch in sport fishing - the only exception is that it is sometimes regarded as a pest when it interferes with big game fishing (especially
Marlin FishingMarlin fishing is considered by many game fishermen to be the pinnacle of offshore game fishing, due to the size and power of marlin, relative rareness and difficulty of capture. It is also expensive, requiring considerable money to pursue as a regular hobby....
).