| Wahoo |
 |
Wahoo |
| Acanthocybium solandri |
The Hawaiian word for Wahoo is ‘Ono’ meaning “good to eat”
|
Key Distinguishing Markings:
- Large mouth
- Snout the same length as the rest of the head
- Many triangular, serrated teeth
- Gill rakers are absent
- Body covered in small scales
- Bluish green iridescent back
- Silvery sides with blue, vertical stripes
View the Wahoo Gallery
|
Distribution:
- Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans
- Carribean and Mediterranean Seas
- Tropical and Sub-Tropical waters
|
Size:
- Reach maturity at 33-41 inches
- Maximum recorded length 98 inches; average length 67 inches
- Maximum recorded weight 182 pounds
|
Habitat:
- Pelagic
- Max depth 65 ft.; common depth 39 ft.
- Preferred temperature 80 degrees Celsius
|
Spawning:
- Spawning season is from May to October
- Eggs are scattered; open ocean
|
Fishing Tips:
- Commercially and recreationally caught
- Caught principally by trawling and longlines
- Feed on squid and octopus
- Wahoo forage in open water, outer reef, and
flotsam-associated prey
|
Fun Fact:
- Wahoo are among the fastest pelagic species reaching speeds
up to 60 mph (FFWCC, 2017)
- Maryland State Record: 131 pounds, caught by John Schaar in
2014 http://dnr.maryland.gov/Fisheries/Pages/state-records.aspx
- The Hawaiian word for Wahoo is ‘Ono’ meaning “good to eat” (Hawaii-Seafood.org,
2015)
|
| Family: Scombridae – albacores, bonitos, mackerels, tunas |
| Order: Perciformes – perch-like fishes |
| Class: Teleostei |
- Wahoo reach maturity around 1 year
- At 1 year old, wahoo are usually around 19 inches long
- Solitary swimmers but can also be found in small
loose schools
Illustration by Diane Rome Peebles
Provided by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission,
Division of Marine Fisheries Management
|