Distributed worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters. Common in the Gulf of Mexico and in the warm waters of the Gulf Stream and Hawaii. Dolphin fish have been seen as far north as Nova Scotia and as far south as South Africa.

HABITS:

It is found in open waters but also near the coast. Forms schools. Inhabits surface waters where it feeds on almost all forms of fish and zooplankton. Also feeds on crustaceans and squids. Occurs within a temperature range of 21° to 30°C and salinities of 31.0 ppt. Attracting devices such as floating bundles of bamboo reeds or cork planks are used to concentrate dolphin fish before the nets are set.

SPAWNING:

Female dolphin fish produce 80,000 to one million eggs per spawning, and spawn two or three times a year. Dolphin fish have mated and spawned in captivity. The eggs were collected and reared to juvenile and adult stages.

GROWTH:

Dolphin fish grow very rapidly: there are records of going from egg to over 20 lb in one year. In the Miami Seaquarium, dolphin grew from 1 lb to 36 lb in eight months. They probably only live about four years.

USES:

Dolphin fish is a high-valued fish, so it has attracted the interests of aquaculturists worldwide. Research is currently underway in the Oceanic Institute, Honolulu, Hawaii; Harbor Branch Foundation, Fort Pierce, and University of Miami, Florida; North Carolina State University, Raleigh; and Southern Sea Farms, Ltd., Perth, Australia.

CULTURE:

Their rapid growth, spawning in captivity, fine taste, and rather wide tolerance to environmental conditions make these fish desirable for farming. However, since they are top-level predators, with a low food intake- fish flesh conversion rate, they are expensive to feed. Marketability may be limited in some areas. In colder climates rearing may be restricted to about six months during the warmest part of the year.

REFERENCES:

Hagood, R.W., G.N. Rothwell, M. Swafford, and M. Tosaki. 1981. Preliminary report on the aquacultural development of the dolphin fish, Coryphaena hippurus (Linnaeus). Journal of the World Maricultural Society 12:135-139.

Oxenford, H.A.1986. A preliminary investigation of the stock of the dolphin, Coryphaena hippurus, in the western central Atlantic. Fisheries Bulletin 84:728-739.

Palko, B.J., G.L. Beardsley, and W. Richards. 1982. Synopsis of the biological data on dolphin-fishes, Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus and Coryphaena equiselis Linnaeus. FAO Fisheries Synopsis (130); NOAA Technical Report NMFS Circ. (443). National Marine Fisheries Service, Seattle.

Patterson, K.R., and J. Martinez. 1991. Exploitation of the dolphin-fish Coryphaena hippurus L. off Ecuador: Analysis by length-based virtual population analysis. Fishbyte 9:21-23.