Why is a dolphin called mahi mahi?

It's somewhat of a mystery. A fish -- the dolphinfish -- carries the name used for identifying a prominent water mammal -- the dolphin. Add to this the fact that the dolphinfish also goes by the names "mahi mahi" and "dorado," and naturally you'll have questions about how these names are connected and why. read more

Apparently few answers exist about how and why the term "dolphin" became attached to the mahi mahi fish. In fact, the etymology of the word "dolphin" reveals that the term originally meant "womb." So the word fits the dolphin, the marine mammal, since female dolphins give birth to live young -- they have wombs. read more

It's not, though I can see how it would be confusing.. This is a Dolphinfish (Coryphaena hippurus): Otherwise known as "Mahi-mahi", which in Hawaiian means "very strong". read more

Dolphin fish have a short life span of three or four years. Dolphin fish are not to be confused with porpoises, which at times are also called dolphin. Dolphin fish (mahi-mahi) are cold-blooded members of the fish family, while porpoises are mammals and are protected by law. The mahi-mahi is a beautiful fish also known as "dorado". read more