The Hawaiian name for the wide-ranging dolphinfish, mahi mahi, means “strong strong,” which aptly describes demand for this sweet-flavored, firm-textured fish. Long a favorite fish in Florida and Hawaii, where they are landed in local waters, these days mahi’s exotic appeal means you’re just as likely to see it on a menu in Aspen, Colorado or in New York City. 
 
One of the most beautiful fish in the sea, mahi are found throughout the warm waters of the world, where they are voracious feeders, consuming squid, mackerel, shrimp, crab and a variety of small fish (including small mahi). 
 
Mahi are extremely fast-growing, reaching a size of 5 pounds in just six months and 20 pounds in just one year. Fully grown, mahi can reach 70 pounds and six feet in length, although most of the commercial catch is in the 10 to 20-pound range. 
 
Mahi are landed primarily as a bycatch in the high seas tuna fishery, although small boat fishermen will target mahi at certain times of the year when the schools are running near the coast. Most mahi are caught by longline, however fishermen in small coastal fisheries will catch them on individual hand lines.
 
Relatively small amounts (less than 1,000 tons) of mahi are landed each year by fishermen in Hawaii and Florida (where they are called dolphin fish), most of which is consumed locally. Supplies of imported mahi, on the other hand, are considerably larger, exceeding 10,000 tons in most years. 
 
On the fresh front, Ecuador, Brazil and Costa Rica are the leading mahi suppliers, while Taiwan is the dominant supplier of frozen mahi. 
Supplies of fresh mahi are highly seasonal and prices fluctuate widely, as much as $2 a pound over the course of a year. Typically, supplies of fresh mahi peak in January and February, when the schools are running off Ecuador. Supplies can also pick up in the summer, when landings from Brazil hit their annual peak. 
 
Catches of mahi from Ecuador and Costa Rica are typically much lower during El Nino years, as the fish migrate farther off shore. 
Mahi quality can vary widely, especially with fresh fish. The best product is bled and well iced on short trips. However, a short trip is no guarantee of quality, since some small boats in developing countries often carry only a small amount of ice. On the other hand, mahi caught on a fishing trip of two weeks can still be very good quality if it’s well handled. 
 
As mahi prices have increased in recent years, so has the incentive to farm this fish. In some ways, mahi are an ideal candidate to farm, as the fish can be raised to a marketable size in just six months and they are very prolific breeders. On the other hand, mahi are high-speed swimmers used to ranging far and wide across the ocean, and as a result they have proven difficult to adapt to cage culture.


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