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Fish Information
Below you fill find some information and pictures of the common fishes
you can catch.
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.
Yellowfin Tuna (Ahi):
Thunnus albacares
The
Yellowfin Tuna is a highly sought after marine gamefish as a result of
its excellent tasting meat and sporting battle it gives on rod and reel.
Yellowfin can be distinguished by their farily 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 gamefish 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 its
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 worlds 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 lost as many
Skipjack as you catch as they have very soft tissue around their jaws.
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