Dorado

Cuban Fishing, 3-7-15, Dorado, Cuba - Michel Nr 2538 by Bernd Kirschner, Via Creative Commons.

Dorado Or Mahi-mahi.

Dorado are one of the great sport and eating fish of Cuba.

The mahimahi (/ˈmɑːhˈmɑːh/)[2] or common dolphinfish[3] (Coryphaena hippurus) is a surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical and subtropical waters worldwide. Also known widely as dorado, it is one of two members of the Coryphaenidae family, the other being the pompano dolphinfish.

Cuban Fishing, 3-7-15, Dorado Or Mahi-mahi By Michael Stockton Via Creative Commons.

Cuban Fishing, 3-7-15, Dorado Or Mahi-mahi By Michael Stockton Via Creative Commons.

The name mahimahi means very strong in Hawaiian. In other languages, the fish is known as dorade coryphène,lampuga, llampuga, lampuka, lampuki, rakingo, calitos, or maverikos.

Mahi-mahi are highly sought for sport fishing and commercial purposes. Sport fishermen seek them due to their beauty, size, food quality, and healthy population. Mahi-mahi is popular in many restaurants.

Mahi-mahi can be found in the Caribbean Sea, on the west coast of North and South America, the Pacific coast ofCosta Rica, the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic coast of Florida and West Africa, South China Sea and Southeast Asia,Hawaii and many other places worldwide.

Fishing charters most often look for floating debris and frigatebirds near the edge of the reef in about 120 feet (37 m) of water. Mahi-mahi (and many other fish) often swim near debris such as floating wood, palm trees and fronds, or sargasso weed lines and around fish buoys. Sargasso is floating seaweed that sometimes holds a complete ecosystem from microscopic creatures to seahorses and baitfish. Frigatebirds dive for food accompanying the debris or sargasso. Experienced fishing guides can tell what species are likely around the debris by the birds’ behavior.

Thirty- to fifty-pound gear is more than adequate when trolling for mahi-mahi. Fly-casters may especially seek frigatebirds to find big mahi-mahis, and then use a bait-and-switch technique. Ballyhoo or a net full of live sardines tossed into the water can excite the mahi-mahis into a feeding frenzy. Hookless teaser lures can have the same effect. After tossing the teasers or live chum, fishermen throw the fly to the feeding mahi-mahi. Once on a line, mahi-mahi are fast, flashy and acrobatic, with beautiful blue, yellow, green and even red dots of color.

Source:  Mahi-mahi or Dorado.

Feature Image:  Dorado, Cuba By Bernd Kirschner, Via Creative Commons.