Maryland Department of Natural Resources

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Maryland Fish Facts

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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

Wahoo
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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​​