Coryphaena

Coryphaena equiselis

The dolphinfish ( Coryphaenidae ) are a zoological family of Perciformes ( Perciformes ), which consists of only one genus with two species. The fish live in the Mediterranean, the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean. In English they are called Dolphin Fishes, of course, no relationship exists with dolphins, and in parts of the Pacific as mahimahi.

Features

Dolphinfish are great 1.00 to 1.50 meter long fish with an elongated, laterally compressed and trimmed with small round scales body. As a maximum length is specified for Coryphaena hippurus 2.10 meters, as the maximum weight of 40 kg. Their color, which helped them to their German name, is a shiny iridescent silvery gold. The skull is blunt and rounded, with the males the blunt head profile is enhanced by a bone Kiel.

The long dorsal fin begins on the head and extends over the entire back length. It is supported from 48 to 65 soft rays. Dorsal and anal fin have no hard jets. During fast swimming, the pectoral fins can be covered in mines. The caudal fin is sickle-shaped.

Way of life

Dolphinfish are predators of epipelagial and eat fish and other pelagic animals and are among the fastest swimming fish.

System

The Coryphaena are the only genus of the family Coryphaenidae. The dolphinfish are the sister group of a clade formed by the ship owners and the Cobias and how these are to the order of Trevally relatives ( Carangiformes ).

Trevally ( Carangidae )

Hahn perch ( Nematistiidae )

Dolphinfish ( Coryphaenidae )

Cobia ( Rachycentridae )

Remora ( Echeneidae )

The two types of Coryphaena:

• Coryphaena equiselis Linnaeus, 1758
• Coryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758