Mahi mahi
Coryphaena hippurus
Illustration: Bloom by Day
Iridescent blue-green and gold, flat-sided as a blade, with a dorsal fin running from the blunt forehead almost to the tail. It belongs to the open water off the shelf and arrives at speed around floating weed or a FAD, usually in pairs, and does not stay.
how to recognise it
- a single long-based dorsal fin running from the head almost to the tail
- a large blunt to very steep head — squarer in big males
- iridescent bluish-green above, silvery-golden below, with small dark spots on the sides
- dorsal fin dark green to deep blue; the other fins yellow to orange
Field marks read from Fishes of Australia, 2026-10-15. Our wording, their facts. Max size 210 cm TL ; 40 kg.
facts
- habitat
- pelagic
- size
- ~100 cm, to 210 cm
Max size from Fishes of Australia (210 cm TL ; 40 kg); the typical size is Bluebird’s, not from a cited source
- records near here
- 7 at 4 of 6 spots
A count of occurrence records near these spots, not abundance. Records are where someone looked.
when it has been recorded
JFMAMJJASOND
A gap means no record in the sample, not absence.
the rule
QLD — Min: 50cm · Limit: 5
source
· verified 2026-10-10
NSW — 60 cm, only 1 over 110 cm · 10
source
· verified 2026-10-01
no closed season recorded for this species — that is not the same as open; check the official page
Rules checked 2026-10-13 against qld.gov.au
Rules change. Check before you dive.
Occurrence data: Atlas of Living Australia (ala.org.au), CC-BY 4.0.
Diver transect counts: Reef Life Survey (reeflifesurvey.com), CC-BY 4.0, supplied via ALA.
Target and protected species: Queensland tidal-water size and possession limits (qld.gov.au) and NSW saltwater bag and size limits plus threatened species lists (dpird.nsw.gov.au).
Habitat and size: Bluebird, approximate, from general knowledge. Not cited. FishBase is CC BY-NC and this app is commercial, so it is not used.
Description written for Bloom. RECORDS ARE WHERE SOMEONE LOOKED, NOT WHERE THE FISH ARE. A record count is a count of records near here and nothing else -- it is not abundance, and a species with few records is not rare. Absence of records is not absence of fish.
Diver transect counts: Reef Life Survey (reeflifesurvey.com), CC-BY 4.0, supplied via ALA.
Target and protected species: Queensland tidal-water size and possession limits (qld.gov.au) and NSW saltwater bag and size limits plus threatened species lists (dpird.nsw.gov.au).
Habitat and size: Bluebird, approximate, from general knowledge. Not cited. FishBase is CC BY-NC and this app is commercial, so it is not used.
Description written for Bloom. RECORDS ARE WHERE SOMEONE LOOKED, NOT WHERE THE FISH ARE. A record count is a count of records near here and nothing else -- it is not abundance, and a species with few records is not rare. Absence of records is not absence of fish.