# Mahi-Mahi / Dolphins vs. real Dolphins **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 20, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954 "2002-12-20T02:27:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/1 "2002-12-20T02:27:15Z")
It has recently come to my attention that there is a fish called a dolphin, and it is also known as mahi-mahi or dorado. Why in the world would they name a fish the same name as a completely different animal? In trying to decipher what was going on, I found several… ahem… interesting websites. [One](http://www.chef-recipes.com/mahi_mahi.htm) claimed that it is related to the dolphin, but is not a mammal. Many (including this [one](http://www.ocean.udel.edu/mas/seafood/mahi.html)) claimed that is is a dolphin as compared to a porpoise. Now, I’m pretty sure that (mammal) dolphins are distinct from porpoises, right? I’m guessing that because most of the sites were either about cooking or catching them, they weren’t interested in such distinctions. [Here](http://www.bluewaterbiggame.com/fish/dorado.cfm)’s a fairly good description of it. But the question remains. Why name a fish a dolphin? ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/2 "2002-12-20T02:33:39Z")
> [@](#): > > Dolphin is the name of a marine marine mammal, but it is also the name of a fish. Because of the confusion, most restaurants today use the Hawaiian name ‘mahi-mahi’ or the Spanish ‘dorado’ on their menus so customers don’t think they are serving ‘Flipper’ the famous TV show mammal. > > Japan catches more than 50% of the world’s catch of Mahi-Mahi. ‘Maui Maui’ are not porposises as porposises are mammals > [@](#): > > ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French daulfin, blend of daufin and Old Provençal dalfin, both from Medieval Latin \*dalfinus, from Latin delphnus, from Greek delphs, delphn-, from delphus, womb (from its shape). ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/3 "2002-12-20T02:37:25Z")
You should know that there are two different mammals, one called a dolphin and one called a porpoise, which are closely related. I’ve often heard that you should call the mammal a porpoise since the fish is called a dolphin. This is not accurate for the above reason. But, I don’t know if this post serves any porpoise. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/4 "2002-12-20T02:39:51Z")
Catfish, dogfish, catshark, zebra fish, etc. Pretty common sort of thing. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/5 "2002-12-20T02:50:30Z")
Well, okay. **barbitu8** , dolphins and porpoises are different families. There are many species of each. It would be pretty silly to just call them all the same thing. So, auxilliary question: which came first, the naming of the fish or of the mammal? Maybe that’ll shed some light. **Desmostylus** , I suppose, but none of those animals you listed above are also sea-dwellers and vaguely fish-shaped. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/6 "2002-12-20T02:59:42Z")
I think the confusion arises because the spanish ‘dorado’ translates as dolphin. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/7 "2002-12-20T03:07:11Z")
Hm… so it’s all the Spanish’s fault? 😃 That’s interesting. So did the Spanish double-name, or were they confused? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/8 "2002-12-20T03:09:22Z")
Okay, here’s a better one. Whale shark. It’s a shark, but it’s whale-sized, so… whale shark. I don’t know why this particular fish was named the way it was, maybe someone thought it was vaguely dolphin-shaped. Common names can be misleading. ---
**Author:** ![MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@MC\_Master\_of\_Ceremonies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MC_Master_of_Ceremonies)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/9 "2002-12-20T03:12:51Z")
I’m not sure exactly as the spanish for ‘dolphin’ (the mammal) is ‘delfin’ \. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/10 "2002-12-20T03:40:37Z")
**MC** , that’s _ma **h** i ma **h** i_. (Maui is an island of Hawaii). _A propos_ of nothing, just wanted to point out the incredible coincidence that \*\*_mahi_ \*\*is the Persian word for **‘fish’**. ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/11 "2002-12-20T03:43:35Z")
I assumed that “dorado” was a reference to the thing’s color. ---
**Author:** ![Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helen_s_Eidolon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/12 "2002-12-20T03:46:11Z")
That’s cool, **Jomo Mojo**. I think I read that mahi (as in mahi-mahi) means strong. And, **Desmostylus** that’s interesting. Dorado does mean gold, right? Okay, so where’s the dorado/dolphin connection? We’re getting close, I think… ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/13 "2002-12-20T04:40:08Z")
Mahi mahi is a pretty common fish served in local restaurants by me. Good stuff. Mahi-mahi is the Hawaiin word, dorado is the Spanish (Mexican) word. Reading about the fish from the cites, I have a guess. This fish is said to jump high out of the water, just like dolphins do, hence the dolphin fish. Haj ---
**Author:** ![minty\_green](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@minty\_green](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/minty_green)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/14 "2002-12-20T05:29:27Z")
I’ve personally seen dolphin/mahi-mahi jumping out of the water. Skimmed a few feet over the surface, sideways and on its back, for damn near 50 yards. Very impressive. I’ve also seen dolphin/mammals jumping out of the water. The typical arched back, nose-first thing you see on the Discovery Channel. Not even remotely similar phenomena. ---
**Author:** ![Lou\_Yablonski](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/0ea827/32.png) [@Lou\_Yablonski](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lou_Yablonski)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/15 "2002-12-20T05:39:29Z")
Please see my homepage [www.dolphinsex.org](http://www.dolphinsex.org) for a COMPLETELY different take on human-dolphin…um…relations. And thank you to all for the interesting info in this thread, it has helped clarify the dolphin/porpoise/mahimahi confusion for me. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/16 "2002-12-20T05:58:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lou Yablonski \* > \*\*Please see my homepage [www.dolphinsex.org](http://www.dolphinsex.org) for a COMPLETELY different take on human-dolphin…um…relations. > > And thank you to all for the interesting info in this thread, it has helped clarify the dolphin/porpoise/mahimahi confusion for me. \*\* Jesus. I really wish I hadn’t clicked on that link. Those not interested in actual sex with animals will want to avoid it. Haj ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/17 "2002-12-20T06:24:38Z")
[Dolphinsex.org](http://Dolphinsex.org) was a Weird Earl a while back with the disclaimer “Not for those easily offended.” I heartily endorse the disclaimer. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_Holmes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a5b964/32.png) [@Mycroft\_Holmes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_Holmes)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/18 "2002-12-20T07:55:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > \*\*I assumed that “dorado” was a reference to the thing’s color. \*\* Yeah, it is. “Dorado” means ‘golden’ in Spanish. Hence: ‘El Dorado’, the mystical city of gold. A lot of the Western states in the US have spanish names. “Colorado” means ‘colorful’, “Nevada” means ‘snowy’, and “California” means ‘hot as an oven’! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![voltaire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voltaire/32/313_2.png) [@voltaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/voltaire)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/19 "2002-12-20T10:56:17Z")
:eek: OMG! :eek: I am by no means prude, but that is SICK! Poor innocent Flipper! Don’t take fish from strangers! SWIM AWAY! SWIM AWAY!!! ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/20 "2002-12-20T13:37:54Z")
I don’t know any Spanish, but I was told that Colorado was from the Spanish word for pink. As in the pink sandstone that is all over the state. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954.md?page=2)