Pelagic Fishes

Tuna Snake Mackerel Billfish Swordfish
Mahimahi Moonfish Pomfret Sunfish
Driftfish Lanternfish Flyingfish Remora

Family Scombridae

Tunas & Mackerels

Acanthocybium solandri

Ono, Corsair, Midway, 60 feet, 90mm

Corsair, Midway Atoll

 

Ono, Corsair, Midway, 60 feet, 90mm

Frigate Point, Midway Atoll

 

 

Honolulu Fish Auction

WAHOO        ONO        Sawara

Common along coastal dropoffs.  An excellent food fish with firm light flesh.  Tropical & subtropical seas worldwide.  Attains 99 inches & 183 pounds.

Euthynnus affinis

Kawakawa, Kure Atoll, 30 feet, 90mm

Kure Atoll, NWHI

LITTLE TUNA        KAWAKAWA        Suma

Common in near-shore surface waters.  Has dark oily flesh of minor commercial importance.  Body robust, back with wavy lines, breast usually has several dark spots.  Attains 39 inches & 30 pounds.  Indo-Pacific.   

Katsuwonus pelamis

SKIPJACK TUNA    AKU    Katsuo

Common in surface waters of tropical & warm temperate seas worldwide.  Important for commercial fisheries, its dark red flesh is sold as canned tuna.  Body fusiform, belly with four or five dark stripes.  Attains 12 years of age, 43 inches & 76 pounds.   

Thunnus albacares

Honolulu Fish Auction

YELLOWFIN TUNA    AHI    Kihada

Common in surface waters of tropical & subtropical seas worldwide except the Mediterranean.  Important for commercial & sport fisheries its red flesh is canned as 'light tuna'.  Body fusiform, belly with neat alternating rows of dots and dashes.  Second dorsal & anal fins of large adults extremely long, pectoral fin does not extend beyond the trailing edge of the second dorsal fin.  Attains 8 years of age, 94 inches & 660 pounds.   

Thunnus obesus

Honolulu Fish Auction

BIGEYE TUNA    AHI PO'ONUI     Mebachi

Common in cooler subsurface waters of tropical & subtropical seas worldwide except the Mediterranean.  Important for commercial fisheries its fatty red flesh is highly sought for sashimi or canned as 'light tuna'.  Body & head robust, belly with light irregular blotches.  Second dorsal & anal fins of large adults short.  Attains 11 years of age, 98 inches & 685 pounds. 

Thunnus alalunga

Honolulu Fish Auction

ALBACORE    'TOMBO AHI'    AHI PALAHA    Binnaga

A common species highly sought for its light pink flesh, marketed as white tuna or tombo ahi.  Pectoral fins extremely long, ventral finlets gray.  Attains 50 inches and 125 pounds.  Worldwide in warm & temperate seas, prefers temperature around 60 degrees F.


Family Gempylidae

Snake Mackerels

Snake Mackerels inhabit mid-water depths of the open ocean, migrating toward the surface at night to feed upon fishes & planktonic invertebrates.  They are landed as bycatch on tuna longline vessels.

Lepidocybium flavobrunneum

Honolulu Fish Auction

SMITH'S ESCOLAR    'SUPER WHITE TUNA'    WALU

Inhabits the continental slope & seamounts of the from 600 to 3500 feet.  Unique undulating lateral line.  Very oily white flesh is delicious but causes diarrhea if more than 6 ounces is consumed.  Tropical & temperate Pacific, Indian & Atlantic Ocean.  Attains 80 inches & 100 pounds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escolar

Gempylus serpens

BC Museum, Victoria, Canada

SNAKE MACKEREL    HAULIULI    Kurotachikamasu

Blue above & silver below.  Occurs from the surface to 1000 feet.  Attains at least 5 feet.  Tropical & temperate seas worldwide.


Family Istiophoridae

Billfishes

True billfishes have an upper jaw roughly cylindrical in cross-section.  They inhabit well-lit surface waters of the open sea and feed on fishes during the day.  Highly sought by sport fishers but not highly regarded as food, as the flesh of most species is dry & tough.

Istiophorus platypterus

South Kona, Hawaii, 35 feet

 

SAILFISH    'AU LEPE    Bashokajiki

Inhabits coastal waters of the tropical & temperate Pacific & Indian Ocean.  Rarely seen in Hawaii.  Attains 137 inches & 221 pounds. 

Makaira nigricans

Honolulu Fish Auction

PACIFIC BLUE MARLIN    'AU    Kajiki

A common pelagic species around Hawaii.  Pectoral fins able to fold against the body unlike the Black Marlin, Makaira indica.  Dorsal fin shorter than body depth.  Body near anal fin thick, not compressed as in the Striped Marlin, Tetrapterus audax. Tropical & subtropical Pacific & Indian Ocean.  Attains 197 inches & 1998 pounds, 28 years of age.

Tetrapterus audax

Honolulu Fish Auction

STRIPED MARLIN    'AU    NAIRAGI    Makajiki

Most common near subtropical oceanic islands of the Indo-Pacific.  Dorsal fin taller than body depth, body strongly compressed near anal fin.  Excellent food fish.  Attains 165 inches & 979 pounds.

Tetrapterus angustirostris

Honolulu Fish Auction

SHORTBILLED SPEARFISH    HEBI    'AU    Furaikajiki

Inhabits coastal waters of the tropical & temperate Indo-Pacific.  Upper jaw just slightly longer than lower, lacks vertical stripes on body.  Excellent food fish.  Attains 91 inches & 115 pounds. 


Family Xiphiidae

Broadbill Swordfish

 Xiphias gladius

Honolulu Fish Auction

BROADBILL SWORDFISH

Inhabits sunlit depths of the open ocean, feeding primarily at night.  Upper jaw extremely long, flattened to form a double-edged sword, eyes large, single keel along peduncle.  An excellent food fish depleted due to over-harvesting.  Warm & temperate seas worldwide.  Attains 179 inches & 1433 pounds.


Family Coryphaenidae

Mahimahi

Coryphaena hippurus

Male, FAD, Midway Atoll

 

Females

Females, Honolulu Fish Auction

 DOLPHINFISH       MAHIMAHI    Shiira

Common in tropical & subtropical seas worldwide.  Often found near floating objects.  Males have square forehead, females round.  Excellent food fish.  Attains 83 inches, 88 pounds, 4 years. 


Family Lampridae

Moonfish

Lampris guttatus

Female

Honolulu Fish Auction

Male

Male

Female

Female

Male

Male

MOONFISH    OPAH    Aka-Manbou

Inhabits open ocean depths from 300 to 1500 feet, migrating toward the surface to feed on zooplankton at night.  Subtropical & temperate seas worldwide.  Landed as bycatch by tuna longline vessels.  Excellent eating, with sections of moist pink, orange & red flesh suitable for different methods of preparation.  Attains 78 inches & 595 pounds. 


Family Bramidae

Pomfrets

Taractichthys steindachneri

Honolulu Fish Auction

SICKLE POMFRET    MONCHONG    Hirojiro-manzaiuo

Inhabits open ocean depths from 150 to 3000 feet, migrating toward the surface to feed on zooplankton at night.  Armor-like scales, white margin on caudal fin, plate-like ribs.  Indo-Pacific.  Landed as bycatch by tuna longline vessels.  Excellent eating, with oily light flesh.  Attains 24 inches & 24 pounds, 8 years. 

Brama sp.

Victoria NH Museum, BC 

POMFRET

One of several bathypelagic members of the genus from the Indo-Pacific.  


Family Exocoetidae

Flyingfishes

Cheilopogon spilonotopterus

Cypselurus spilonotopterus Cypselurus spilonotopterus
Cypselurus spilonotopterus

STAINED or BLEEKER'S FLYINGFISH    MALOLO

Common species with relatively long head, dark pectoral fins & dark blotch on dorsal fin.  Attains 15 inches.  Formerly known as Cypselurus spilonotopterus.  Indo-Pacific & Tropical Eastern Pacific.

Exocoetus volitans

Exocoetus volitans Exocoetus volitans
Exocoetus volitans Exocoetus volitans

TROPICAL TWO-WINGED or LINNE'S FLYINGFISH    MALOLO    Idaten-tobiuo

Common in tropical & subtropical seas worldwide.  Large pelvic fins also used while gliding.  Attains 12 inches.


EASTERN PACIFIC

Cheilopogon pinnatibarbatus californicus

Rock Quarry, Catalina Island, California

CALIFORNIA FLYINGFISH    PEZ VOLADOR

Common in surface waters from Oregon to Outer Baja California.  Attains 15 inches.


Family Nomeidae

Driftfishes

Psenes cyanophrys

Corsair Mooring, Oahu

 

FRECKLED DRIFTFISH

Found near buoys and floating debris offshore.  Attains 9 inches.  Has horizontal lines composed of small spots.  Worldwide in warm seas.

Cubiceps paradoxus

Honolulu Fish Auction

 

LONGFIN CIGARFISH

Inhabits midwater depths in the open ocean feeding upon salps at night.  Pectoral fins extend past the origin of the anal fin.  Attains 40 inches.  Central North Pacific.


Family Myctophidae

Lanternfishes 

Lanternfishes inhabit midwater depths of the open ocean and make a nightly migration toward the surface to feed upon zooplankton.  They employ light-emitting bacteria in special cells along the sides and belly to create a pale green light to hide their silhouette from predators below.  They are among the most numerous animals in the ocean.

Diaphus fragilis

Makaha, Oahu

FRAGILE LANTERNFISH    Kumadori-hadaka

Occurs at midwater depths from 50 to 4000 feet, migrating toward the surface at night to feed.  Tropical & subtropical seas worldwide.  Attains 4 inches.


Family Trichiuridae

Assurger anzac

RAZORBACK SCABBARDFISH

Inhabits subsurface waters of the open ocean at depths between 500 to 1200 feet.  Occasionally captured on tuna longlines.  Attains 7 feet.  Temperate & subtropical waters worldwide.


Family Echeneidae

Remoras, Sharksuckers

Remoras are usually associated with large animals in the open ocean.  They use a special suction device on the forehead to hitchhike on other animals to conserve energy.  They feed upon bait and scraps of food left by their host.  They may occasionally attach themselves to swimmers or divers. 

Remora remora

Grand Bahama Island

COMMON REMORA    Nagakoban

Commensal with sharks or turtles, occasionally free-living.  Warm seas worldwide.  Attains 34 inches.

Echeneis naucrates

Grand Bahama Island

SLENDER REMORA    Kobanzame

Commensal with larger animals or free-living.  May attach to divers.  Warm seas worldwide.  Attains 44 inches.

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