Ahi, also called Yellowfin Tuna
The Ahi is among the larger tuna species, ranging as high as 2.4 m (94 in)
in length and 200 kg (440 lb) in weight. The name comes from the second dorsal fin and
the anal fin, as well as the finlets between those fins and the tail, as they are
bright yellow. The main body is a very dark metallic blue, changing to silver on the
belly, which has about 20 vertical lines.
Ahi are able to escape most predators, because unlike most fish, Ahi are
warm-blooded, and their warm muscles make them extremely strong swimmers, with
Ahi reaching "speeds of up to 50 miles per hour". (They can navigate
enormous distances, sometimes crossing entire oceans.)
Aku, also called Skipjack Tuna.
Aku is a medium-sized perciform fish in the tuna family, Scombridae. It grows up to 3
ft in length.
Aku is a streamlined, fast-swimming pelagic fish, common in tropical waters throughout
the world, where it inhabits surface waters in large shoals (up to 50,000 fish),
feeding on fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, and molluscs. It is an important prey
species for large pelagic fishes and sharks. It has no scales, except on the lateral
line and the corselet (a band of large, thick scales forming a circle around the body
behind the head). It commonly reaches lengths up to 31 in and a weight of 18–22 lb.
Its maximum fork length is 43 in and maximum weight is 76 lb. Aku estimates a lifespan
range between 8 and 12 years.
Blue Marlin.
Blue marlin are distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the
Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans. A bluewater fish that spends the majority of its
life in the open sea far from land, the blue marlin preys on a wide variety of marine
organisms, mostly near the surface. It uses its bill to stun, injure, or kill while
knifing through a school of fish or other prey, then returns to eat the injured or
stunned fish.
Marlin is a popular game fish with a relatively high fat content. The biggest females
are more than four times as heavy as the biggest males, which rarely exceed 350 lb in
weight. The longest females can reach a length of 16 ft with the bill, constituting
about 20% of the total body length - making their body mass about 1,190 to 1,810 lb.
Mahi Mahi, also called Dorado or Dolphin Fish.
The mahi-mahi means "very strong" in Hawaiian (also known widely as dorado) is a
surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical and
subtropical waters worldwide.
Mahi-mahi have compressed bodies and a single long-based dorsal fin extending from the
head almost to the tail. Their caudal fins and anal fins are sharply concave. They are
distinguished by dazzling colors: golden on the sides, and bright blues and greens on
the sides and back. Mature males have prominent foreheads protruding well above the
body proper. Females have a rounded head. Females are also usually smaller than males.
Ono, also called Wahoo.
In Hawaii, the wahoo is known as ono. Ono is found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen for its speed and high-quality flesh make it a prize game fish.
Ono's body is elongated and covered with small, scarcely visible scales; the back is an iridescent blue, while the sides are silvery, with a pattern of irregular vertical blue bars and have razor sharp teeth. These colors fade rapidly at death. The mouth is large, and both the upper and lower jaws have a somewhat sharp appearance.
Specimens have been recorded at up to 8 ft in length, and weighing up to 183 lb, growth is known to be rapid. Ono can swim up to 60 mph. They are some of the fastest fish in the sea!
Sailfish.
Sailfish live in warmer sections of all the oceans of the world. They are predominately blue to gray in colour and have a characteristic erectile dorsal fin known as a sail, which often stretches the entire length of the back. Another notable characteristic is the elongated bill, resembling that of the swordfish and other marlins. They are therefore described as billfish.
Sailfish are highly prized game fish, and are known for their incredible jumps and great speed. They can swim 100 m in 4.8 sec. They can appear in a startling array of colours, from subdued browns and grays to vibrant purples and even silver. Their body colours are often highlighted by stripes of iridescent blue and silver dots. Sailfish can change their colours almost instantly—a change controlled by their nervous system. The sailfish can rapidly turn its body light blue with yellowish stripes when excited, confusing its prey and making capture easier, while signalling its intentions to fellow sailfish.
Striped Marlin
The striped marlin is a small species of marlin found in tropical to temperate Indo-Pacific oceans not far from the surface. It is seasonally migratory, moving toward the equator during the cold season and away again during the warm season. It weighs in around 420 lb and a length of 13.8 ft. The striped marlin is a predator that hunts during the day in the top 100 metres or so of the water column, often near the surface. One of their chief prey is sardines.
It has an elongated body, a spear-like snout or bill, and a long, rigid dorsal fin which extends forward to form a crest. This dorsal fin is the most distinguishing characteristic, which normally equals or exceeds the greatest body depth. Even in the largest specimens this fin is at least equal to 90 percent of the body depth. Its common name is thought to derive from its resemblance to a sailor's marlinspike. Marlins are fast swimmers, reaching speeds of about 50 mph.
catch your own today!!
Alexa Roggeveen
Author