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  3. Common Dolphinfish
Common Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus)

Bony fish · Perciformes · Coryphaenidae

Common Dolphinfish

Coryphaena hippurus

Least Concern

The species is abundant and widely distributed; it faces no significant short-term risk.

Spotted something wrong?

The common dolphinfish, also known as dorado, is a species of marine fish of the family Coryphaenidae or dolphinfish, distributed across all the oceans of the world, in tropical and subtropical waters alike. It is one of the signature fish of traditional Maltese cuisine.

Weight

22 kg on average

Size

up to 2.1 m

Life expectancy

4 years

Diet

Carnivore

Feeds mainly on other animals.

Social structure

School

Gathers in coordinated schools, typical of fish.

Sighting difficulty

Easy

Ocean
43countries19parks

AI-generated images: illustrations, not photographs.

Fun facts

  • It is one of the fastest-growing marine fish: it reaches a metre in its first year and rarely lives beyond four or five years.
  • It gathers under floating objects and sargassum rafts, where its prey shelter too.
  • Adult males develop a high, blunt forehead that tells them apart from females at a glance.

Life cycle and biology

Skeleton type
Vertebrate - internal bony skeleton (bony fish)
Habitat and environment
Tropical and subtropical pelagic waters of all three oceans, between 0 and 85 m and mostly between 5 and 10 m; it gathers under floating objects and sargassum rafts
Sexual maturity
6.5 months

Sources consulted: https://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coryphaena_hippurus

Where to find it

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The pins mark the parks where its presence is documented.

Where to see it

Parks and dive sites where this species has been documented — showing 10 of 19.

Related species

Other species in the catalogue with the most in common with Common Dolphinfish — same habitat, park, country, tags or family.

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Keep exploring

Based on what we already know about common dolphinfish.

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See full glossary
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See its range on the interactive map→
Galápagos National ParkEcuador
Cocos IslandCosta Rica
Tobago Main RidgeTrinidad and Tobago
Pantanal MatogrossenseBrazil
Fernando de NoronhaBrazil
Great Barrier ReefAustralia
NingalooAustralia
Cabrera ArchipelagoSpain
BiscayneUnited States
Dry TortugasUnited States
See all 19 parks
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Yellowfin TunaLeast Concern

Yellowfin Tuna

Thunnus albacares

MackerelLeast Concern

Mackerel

Scomber scombrus

Least Concern

Striped Bass

Morone saxatilis

CountriesMexico
ParksGalápagos National ParkEcuador
TagsCarnivore
Carnivore
In schools
Fish
Ocean

North America16

Africa11

South America11

Europe3

Asia1

Oceania1

Mexico
United States
Australia
Brazil
Spain
Colombia
Bahamas
Belize
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Puerto Rico
Trinidad and Tobago
United States
Benin
Côte d’Ivoire
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Liberia
Nigeria
Senegal
Sierra Leone
South Africa
Togo
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
French Guiana
Guyana
Paraguay
Peru
Suriname
Venezuela
Italy
Portugal
Spain
Japan
Australia