What Is A Wahoo Fish

What Is A Wahoo Fish – Wahoo are strong swimmers and aggressive predators that feed on pelagic squids and a number of schooling fishes.

This species does not have the capacity to control its body temperature, unlike the true tunas and the billfishes, but it is also one of the fastest fishes in the open ocean.

Wahoo sometimes flashes distinct colors or displays or hides dark vertical bars when excited, particularly when hunting, maybe in an effort to confuse their prey.

The biggest open ocean predators, such as pelagic sharks and billfish, eat adult wahoo only.

What Kind Of Fish Is Wahoo

Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) is found in the tropical and subtropical seas worldwide.

Sports fishermen are best known for it as its speed and high-quality flesh makes it a coveted and valued game fish.

Wahoo is known as ono in Hawaii.

The flesh of the wahoo is white and/or dark, delicate to thick, and many cuisines are highly regarded.

It has been said that the taste is similar to mackerel. This has created some interest for wahoo as a commercial food fish at premium prices.

Local demand for wahoo is met by artisanal commercial fishermen in many areas of its range, such as Hawaii, Bermuda, and many parts of the Caribbean, who take them primarily by trolling. 

Fishers in recreational sports also sell their catch.

In the winter months, wahoo can be successfully fished in the Gulf of Mexico with live bait around deep-water oil and gas platforms.

Another Name For Wahoo Fish Is ONO

Ono is a Hawaiian word meaning “good to eat.”

It is a close relative of the king mackerel and is widely known as wahoo. Designed like a torpedo, they are swimmers who are swift. Ono rarely schools, but groups around fish aggregation buoys are often found.

What Does A Wahoo Look Like

On the upper third of their bodies, wahoo is iridescent bluish green, fading to silver on the lower two-thirds. They have 25 to 30 vertical colbalt-blue bars running alongside their limbs.

Wahoo’s mouths are wide, with triangular serrated teeth and a long snout about the size of the rest of its head.

wahoo teeth

The teeth of Wahoo are razor sharp. The wahoo has teeth similar to the king mackerel, but they are shorter and more closely set together.

Barracuda are sometimes mistaken for wahoo and mackerel.

However, they are easily discriminated from the former by their prominent scales, dagger-like teeth, and caudal keels, and extremely deep bodies, which lack the extreme body tapering of the scombrids (mackerel).

wahoo fish size

The biggest wahoo ever caught was 184 pounds, according to the International Game Fish Association. This coveted fish was captured in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on July 29th, 2005. Many have come close to this weight, as seeing Wahoo reach 150 pounds is becoming more popular.

wahoo fish facts

The Wahoo fish is commonly found around offshore reefs, coral dropoffs and other pelagic features such as current lines and FADs in small groups or individually.

The offshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, the Coral Sea and the reefs off northern WA are present all year round in this part of the world.

But their range stretches south with warm currents during the summer months and they can be captured as far south as Perth on the west coast and even northern New Zealand.

Wahoo Fact List

• Wahoo belong to the fish family Scombridae, the same family as mackerels.
• They live in tropical and subtropical waters around the world. They also make it into temperate waters during the summer.

• The International Game Fish Association lists the world record for the largest wahoo as being 184 LBS.
• Wahoo tend to be loners, though they sometimes occur in small, loose schools as well.
• Wahoo is a favorite sport fish because of its speed, fighting spirit, and excellent flavor.
• They have been recorded at speeds up to 60 mph and can capture a variety of prey, including various fish and squid.
• During one study, a wahoo tagged, released, and recovered ten months later weighed 11 lb (5 kg) at the time of tagging and 33 lb (15 kg) ten months later.
• Hirudinella ventricosa commonly inhabits wahoo stomachs but doesn’t affect the portion of the fish that humans eat.
• The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWC-FWRI Mercury Protocol (2007)) and the Florida Department of Health (Associate Press, Oct 20, 2007) have issued warnings concerning mercury in Florida fish, including the wahoo.
• Scientists at the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute are currently conducting a study of wahoo biology. Florida Atlantic University has conducted a genetic study to investigate the molecular similarity among wahoo from different parts of the world.

wahoo vs king mackerel

Because of the similarity, wahoo is frequently mistaken for biologically related fish such as mackerel, although there are more significant distinctions between wahoo and mackerel.

The distinction between the king’s mackerel and the wahoo’s narrow barred Spanish mackerel is a patch of skin covering the mouth when it is closed.

Unlike the king, Spanish, and zero mackerel, the mandible also does not appear on the wahoo. 

It is recognized that the wahoo variety of fish eats squid primarily.

However, it will consume any other form of fish or animal that it can fit into its mouth.

Is Wahoo the same as king mackerel?

They are among the sea’s fastest fish.

The wahoo can be distinguished by a fold of skin that covers the mandible while its mouth is closed, from the similar Atlantic king mackerel and from the Indo-Pacific narrow-barred Spanish mackerel.

What is the difference between wahoo and kingfish?

another distinction between the king mackerel and wahoo lies. The tail fin projections are straight up and down on wahoo; the kings have a projection of an arched sort. Nonetheless, one of the main variations, if the others can fail you, is when it comes down to taste.

what do wahoo eat

Wahoo feed primarily on squid and fish, including frigate mackerel, porcupine fish, butterfish, and round herring.

They usually compete with tuna, but by using their incredibly sharp teeth to turn prey into bite-size bits, they can feed on larger prey.

The young wahoo feeds on a variety of predators that share their habitat.

can you eat wahoo

With meat that is similar in both appearance and taste to that of the King Mackerel, the Wahoo is a perfect fish to eat.

Actually, the Hawaiians refer to this fish as “Ono,” which means “healthy to eat”! 

wahoo fish taste

They have a strong texture and from their small fat content, just enough flavor.

It is generally an enjoyable experience for the few people who are lucky enough to try this fish, and it has been referred to as one of the best fish to eat.

As a member of the mackerel family, when grilled or fried, it appears to taste the best. The meat is white, very flaky and crisp.

wahoo fish recipes

Here’s an easy way to cook it, which both my wife and I love… 

• butter
• Green pepper slices
• Chopped onions
• garlic
• salt
• pepper

Place in a foil pocket of aluminum and then on the grill, not too frilly but with great taste.

How Do You Catch a Wahoo

For the best fishing results, trolling over coral ledge areas is the perfect technique for hooking a Wahoo. The use of wired line with either broad feathers or oversize spoons is favored by most anglers. Live or frozen, Spanish Mackerel is the perfect bait for Wahoo, which has seen its greatest popularity when trolling. You may use a lighter tackle, but be prepared for a trilling fight for sure. For hooking a Wahoo, other techniques such as jigging, chunking and kite fishing have all produced good results.

Frequently Asked Questions

A Quick Summary On Wahoo

Wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) is found in the tropical and subtropical seas worldwide. The flesh of the wahoo is white and/or dark, delicate to thick, and many cuisines are highly regarded. 

Wahoo has teeth similar to the king mackerel, but they are shorter and more closely set together.

Sports fishermen are best known for it as its speed and high-quality flesh makes it a coveted and valued game fish. The biggest open ocean predators, such as pelagic sharks and billfish, eat adult wahoo only.

Ono is a Hawaiian word meaning “good to eat” It is a close relative of the king Mackerel and is widely known as wahoo. It is known as ono in Hawaii.

Wahoo feed primarily on squid and fish, including frigate mackerel, porcupine fish, butterfish, and round herring.

The wahoo variety of fish eats squid primarily, but it will consume any other form of fish or animal that it can fit into its mouth.

When grilled or fried, the Wahoo appears to taste the best. The meat is white, very flaky and crisp. It has a strong texture and from their small fat content, just enough flavor.

It is generally an enjoyable experience for the few people who are lucky enough to try this fish, and it has been referred to as one of the best fish to eat.

What Is A Wahoo – Bottom Line

If you have the chance to try a fresh Wahoo fillet, I highly suggest that you do it. Your tastebuds will welcome this fish’s texture and flavor. Although the fish are thankfully not endangered, they are still scarce and hard to find on the menu of a seafood restaurant. The Wahoo is an underrated fish that offers valuable nutrition for our consumption as well as a great fight on the fishing line.

Also be sure to check out our article on amazing facts about barracudas