Fish Commonly Found in Hawaii
Here are some of the fish we commonly catch, as well as important information you might want to know for each one.
Blue Marlin: Makaira nigricans
The Blue Marlin, or "Makaira" as it is often called, is the grand prize for many offshore anglers. Its great size and tremendous fight when hooked are a challenge to the most accomplished angler.
Striped Marlin: Tetrapturus audax
The Striped Marlin is a much more common catch in the Pacific and Indian Oceans, but is occasionally captured by offshore anglers on the East Coast. Its high, pointed dorsal fin, and brilliant blue vertical stripes on its sides when excited (known as "lit up"), make the species fairly easy to distinguish. Unfortunately, its brilliant coloration often fades shortly after death.
Yellow fin Tuna (Ahi): Thunnus albacares
The Yellow fin Tuna is a highly sought after marine game fish as a result of its excellent tasting meat and sporting battle it gives on rod and reel. Yellow fin can be distinguished by their fairly long pectoral fin, brilliant yellow finlets, and longer than average second dorsal and anal fins. The species has 25-34 gillrakers and the ventral surface of the liver is smooth.
Sailfish: Istiophorus platypterus
The Sailfish is a highly prized species by anglers because of its outstanding sporting characteristics. Once hooked up, the angler is likely to experience many thrilling jumps by the fish as it tries to escape its fate. The enormous dorsal fin makes the Sailfish easy to identify at any size.
Sailfish are colored steely-blue dorsally, and fade to white or silver towards the belly.
Wahoo (Ono): Acanthocybium solandri
Wahoo have a long slender body, with a tube-like slender mouth. They have narrow, light-colored vertical stripes on their blue-grey backs, with a silver belly. While Wahoo are in the mackerel family, they are not a schooling fish.
Wahoo grow upwards of 75 lbs., and are an offshore game fish generally caught by trolling artificial lures.
Dorado (Mahi Mahi): Coryphaena Hippurus
It is smaller fish, with a distinctive hump on its head, more colorful and very plentiful. It is also most closely associated with Hawaiian cuisine because its taste blends so well with some of the native fruits and it’s was first introduced to the U.S. main land via Hawaii. Today it is cheaper and fresher locally. Mahi is pink, has a mildly sweet flesh which turns white when cooked. It is available all year round but is best purchased in the winter.
There is a migration of the fish to the south at that time and the fishermen of Ecuador, which has 40% of the world’s production of Mahi, are harvesting around the clock. Mahi is excellent when fresh and cooked until it is just done when the meat barely flakes off, otherwise it will tend to taste dry.
Skipjack Tuna (Aku): Katsuwonus pelamis
Skipjack Tuna are easily distinguished by longitudinal stripes across the belly and the high gillraker count, the highest amongst the mackerel family (53-63).
The meat of the Skipjack is dark and oily and of almost no commercial value. They are a fun species on light tackle, but do not put up as good a fit as the bonito or little tunny. You will also generally lose as many Skipjack as you catch as they have very soft tissue around their jaws.