GOLDEN MACKEREL – Mahi mahi
Although mahi mahis have been present in the Adriatic since time immemorial, they are still considered a little-known and unusual fish by the locals. Despite the fact that there have been more and more mahi mahis in the Adriatic lately, they catch them only rarely and only by chance. Perhaps this is because the mahi mahis swims mainly on the offshore and rarely approach the shores.
Mahi mahi could also be called rainbow fish. They are golden, green and yellow on the hips and silvery white on the bellies. They have a body studded with purple-blue and black spots and blemishes. The colors they are dressed in have a special glow, which, however, goes out when the lamp dies, and most colors fade.
It is a fish that grows very fast, according to some research, even the fastest in the world, as it gains up to 1 kg per month in favorable conditions. The maximum size of the mahi mahi is about 1.8 m and the weight is 40 kg. But it can be even more, as the world record for being caught in a sporty way and hook according to the standards of the IGFA (International Game Fishing Association) is 39.5 kg.
In the Northern Adriatic mahi mahi are smaller than their counterparts in the oceans, growing to about 1 meter and 5 kilograms. The average Northern Adriatic catch is around 1 kg, but it is true that this is likely to change soon, as larger specimens weighing between 10 and 15 kilograms have started to arrive in the Adriatic. Namely, I heard that a lot of such people were caught on the Adriatic last year. The lifespan of mahi mahi is usually 3 to 5 years, and they reach sexual maturity before the first year of age.
Males and females differ in appearance mainly in the shape of the head. Well, the characteristic shape of the head with a steep forehead is present in both sexes, but in males the profile eventually becomes distinctly vertical, and in females it remains rounded. Supposedly, the shape of the male’s head is the one that attracts females the most sexually. Well yeah, which is fine, right? This is what nature commanded them to do, unlike our family, which also thought of wallets, lipstick and even cars as sexually attractive.