The pompano dolphinfish (''Coryphaena equiselis'') is a species of surface-dwelling

ray-finned fish Actinopterygii (; ), members of which are known as ray-finned fish or actinopterygians, is a class of bony fish that comprise over 50% of living vertebrate species. They are so called because of their lightly built fins made of webbings of sk ...

found in

tropical The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the equator, where the sun may shine directly overhead. This contrasts with the temperate or polar regions of Earth, where the Sun can never be directly overhead. This is because of Earth's ax ...

and

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical zone, geographical and Köppen climate classification, climate zones immediately to the Northern Hemisphere, north and Southern Hemisphere, south of the tropics. Geographically part of the Ge ...

waters. They are one of only two members of the family Coryphaenidae, the other being the

mahi-mahi The mahi-mahi ( ) or common dolphinfish (''Coryphaena hippurus'') is a surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in off-shore temperate, tropical, and subtropical waters worldwide. It is also widely called dorado (not to be confused with '' Salmin ...

or common dolphinfish. Pompano dolphinfish have a lifespan of three to four years. They are often mistaken for juvenile mahi-mahi; they are somewhat smaller than the related mahi-mahi, only reaching a maximum

total length Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies, for data used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fishery biology. Overall length Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish measured f ...

of . Pompano dolphinfish have compressed heads and dorsal fins extending the entire length of their bodies. Mature males develop a protruding forehead, but not to the same extent as male mahi-mahi. Their backs are a brilliant blue-green, and their sides are a silvery-golden color. When they are removed from the water, the fish fade to a muted green-grey upon death. Despite the similar names, this fish is not related to the marine mammals also known as

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

s (family Delphinidae). See'' Coryphaena ''for the possible etymologies of "dolphinfish". Pompano dolphinfish are carnivorous, feeding primarily on small fish and

squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

. Pompano dolphinfish are popular as a game fish in the waters off

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

, and are sometimes eaten as a substitute for

swordfish The swordfish (''Xiphias gladius''), also known as the broadbill in some countries, are large, highly migratory predatory fish characterized by a long, flat, pointed bill. They are the sole member of the Family (biology), family Xiphiidae. They ...

because of their firm texture and sweet flavour.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q135597 pompano dolphinfish Pantropical fish pompano dolphinfish pompano dolphinfish Fish of Aruba