# 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:** 2
**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, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/21 "2002-12-20T13:46:54Z")
Colodado = red. ---
**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, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/22 "2002-12-20T13:51:15Z")
Sorry, **Hari Seldon**. I should have addressed **Mycroft Holmes** post, rather than yours. ---
**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, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/23 "2002-12-20T14:32:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Desmostylus \* > \*\*Colodado = red. \*\* Well, if I check my Spanish-English dictionary, ‘red’ is indeed listed as ‘colorado’ also, but I think ‘rojo’ is used more often. And the Spanish ‘colorado’ is translated as either ‘red’ or ‘colored’, so I guess we’re both right. 🙂 ---
**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, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/24 "2002-12-20T14:44:38Z")
**Mycroft Holmes** , you are undoubtedly correct. My spanish isn’t very good. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/25 "2002-12-20T15:04:01Z")
> [@](#): > > \*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.** Assuming that site is serious, I have a couple of problems with it. No, not its subejct matter but rather the content. > [@](#): > > Dolphin males have a prehensile penis. They can wrap it around objects, and carry them as such.) Right, they use the erect penis as an arm. This is also what gets people confused. There have been reports of misguided people running into the ocean because they think their local dolphin population wants to mate with them. Studies show that this is not the case. Chances are that because some dolphin was rubbing his penis on them he must be coming onto them. Sorry, no, that dolphin was **using his erect penis as an arm**! Unfortunately, I don’t have a cite for this and Google returned a bunch of links that read like romance novels. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/26 "2002-12-20T15:47:29Z")
\*ETYMOLOGY: Middle English, from Old French daulfin, blend of daufin and Old Provençal dalfin, both from Medieval Latin \*dalfinus, from Latin delphnus, from Greek delphis, delphn-, from delphus, womb (from its shape). \* So from the Greek for womb, we get delphic, which refers to brotherly love. As in Phila_delphia_ or the Lagid king Ptolemy _Philadelphos_ ( the phila relates to philial and means sort of the same thing, but apparently delphi- has that connotation all on its own - have to ask a Greek scholar why that construction ). From brotherly love\>fraternal love\>fraternization. Dolphins were so named by the Greeks, because they were sea mammals that _fraternized_ together. It also refers to an ancient Greek naval weapon, but I think thatwas named after the animal. As for why the Dorado ( and also the related Pompano - same genus, different species ) are referred to as “dolphins” or “dolphinfish”, your guess is as good as mine. I assume that some of the early guesses are close - the fish somehow suggested either the mammal or, perhaps, resembled one of the stylized heraldic symbols ( that I understand could be fish-like ) of dolphins used in Europe. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/27 "2002-12-20T15:59:48Z")
Crap, I did it again. That should have read “Chances are that because some dolphin was rubbing his penis on them they think he must be coming onto them.” Gotta pay more attention when I’m composing my posts. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/28 "2002-12-20T16:34:42Z")
The [dolphinfish, dorado, or mahi-mahi](http://bss.sfsu.edu/geog/bholzman/courses/fall99projects/dolphinfish.htm) (_Coryphaena hippurus_ and _Coryphaena equisetis_) is a large pelagic fast-swimming fish. One of their favorite prey items is flying fish, which they will even pursue out of the water by jumping after them. They were called after the mammalian dolphin almost certainly because of this habit of jumping out of the water. The mammalian dolphin was named first. In the past, the fish was often referred to simply as “dolphin;” “fish” is usually now tacked on to avoid confusion. The name “dorado,” Spanish for “golden,” comes from their golden-green color. Nowadays they are almost called either dorado or mahi-mahi (of Polynesian origin) on restaurant menus so that people don’t get the idea they’re eating Flipper. PS. “Colorado” in Spanish basically means “colored,” but can also used to mean red because that is the most vibrant color. “Rojo” is a more specific word for red. Pink is “rosado” or “rosa.” ---
**Author:** ![smam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/46a35a/32.png) [@smam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smam)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/29 "2002-12-20T16:48:05Z")
[Hi-Jack] Am I correct in thinking that the killer whale is more dolphin than whale? [/the pilot would like to announce that we have resumed full control once more] ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/30 "2002-12-20T17:38:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by smam \* > \*\*[Hi-Jack] Am I correct in thinking that the killer whale is more dolphin than whale? [/the pilot would like to announce that we have resumed full control once more] \*\* Not really. “Whale,” “dolphin,” and “porpoise” are not really precies scientific terms. Whale generally is used for larger cetaceans, regardless whether they are members of the baleen whales (blue, humpback, right, bowhead, etc.) or toothed whales (orcas/killer whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sperm whale.) “Porpoise” tends to be used for smaller, shorter-beaked species of toothed whales. “Dolphin” is generally used for medium-sized species in several different families. ---
**Author:** ![Scupper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Scupper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scupper)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/31 "2002-12-20T17:40:28Z")
General: The reason for the naming problem is very simple - until relatively recently, people didn’t make any distinction between dolphins/porpoises and any other “fish” (i.e. something that has fins, swims in the ocean, and is not a whale or a shark). It just wasn’t that important a distinction to them. Thus “hey that fish is jumping like a dolphin, so let’s assume it’s pretty much the same thing,” didn’t conflict with “He may be jumping, but he’s no Flipper.” Smam: Yes, a Killer Whale is more closely related to dolphins than most large whales, particularly the baleen whales. It’s pretty obvious if you think about it: almost all large whales are filter-feeders, which separates killer whales from them right there. Of the large whales, the sperm whale is the only really prominent example of a predator, and even they aren’t terribly closely related to orcas. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/32 "2002-12-20T17:57:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scupper \* > **Smam: Yes, a Killer Whale is more closely related to dolphins than most large whales, particularly the baleen whales.** A killer whale may be more closely related to dolphins than to the largest whales (except the sperm whale), but it is relatively closely related to pilot whales, beluga whales, beaked whales, bottlenose whales, etc, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2002, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/33 "2002-12-20T19:00:28Z")
> [@](#): > > Of the large whales, the sperm whale is the only really prominent example of a predator, and even they aren’t terribly closely related to orcas. Yep, my understanding is that Sperm Whales have been shown to be closer genetically to the Baleen Whales than the Toothed Whales. There _is_ a supposed division between the “True Porpoises” ( family Phocoenidae - only six species ) and the “Marine Dolphins” ( family Delphinidae - 30-odd species ) based on tooth-type among other things, but that is after the fact assignments by taxonomists I’m pretty sure. Like **Colibri** pointed out, porpoise vs. dolphin is really more a body-shape descriptor and predates any formal taxonomy ( porpoise means “swine fish” and refers to their squattish body shape ). - Tamerlane ---
**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 21, 2002, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/34 "2002-12-21T00:55:26Z")
Wow, interesting posts, everyone. Thanks a lot. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/35 "2002-12-21T04:55:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\*Not really. “Whale,” “dolphin,” and “porpoise” are not really precies scientific terms. Whale generally is used for larger cetaceans, regardless whether they are members of the baleen whales (blue, humpback, right, bowhead, etc.) or toothed whales (orcas/killer whales, dolphins, porpoises, and sperm whale.) > > “Porpoise” tends to be used for smaller, shorter-beaked species of toothed whales. “Dolphin” is generally used for medium-sized species in several different families. \*\* That’s interesting. I’d believed that “dolphin” and “porpoise” were almost interchangable terms(the only difference being one has a “snout” and the other doesn’t)…until I read this week that harbor porpoises are one of the smallest types of toothed whale. So is Flipper can be called a small whale too then? ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2002, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/36 "2002-12-21T05:19:35Z")
Dolphin and porpoise are interchangeable in common usage. Porpoise is also used to refer to Phocoenidae, the porpoise family, while dolphin is used to refer to several other families. Not all dolphins have the prominent snout. A distinction is often made between toothed whales and baleen whales, and under that distinction, flipper is a small toothed whale. ---
**Author:** ![JBGUSA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/258eb7/32.png) [@JBGUSA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JBGUSA)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/37 "2015-01-25T23:32:54Z")
> [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](#): > > 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? My speculation is that since the dorado (or mahi mahi) is a flying fish, and leaped on ship’s decks, they were given the nickname “dolphon.” I remember ordering them in a Barbados hotel restaurant in 1972, long before mahi mahi became a popular menu item in the U.S. My parents (I was 14 at the time) were wondering what I was doing. It passed their taste test. > [@Helen\_s\_Eidolon](#): > > 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… > [@hajario](#): > > 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 Remember the old calypso song “Jamaica Farewell.” The lyrics “acki, rice, flying fish are nice.” Well that’s the same fish. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2015, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/38 "2015-01-25T23:55:14Z")
Zombie mahi-mahi jump but are not [flying fish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_fish), or even informally called flying fish. They eat flying fish. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/39 "2015-01-26T00:00:14Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > 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 Zombie mahi-mahi are not called “dorado.” Dorado is the gilt-edge sea bream, sold as “daurade” nowadays because it tastes classier that way. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2015, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954/40 "2015-01-26T00:11:05Z")
> [@JBGUSA](#): > > My speculation is that since the dorado (or mahi mahi) is a flying fish, and leaped on ship’s decks, they were given the nickname “dolphon.” I remember ordering them in a Barbados hotel restaurant in 1972, long before mahi mahi became a popular menu item in the U.S. My parents (I was 14 at the time) were wondering what I was doing. It passed their taste test. > Remember the old calypso song “Jamaica Farewell.” The lyrics “acki, rice, flying fish are nice.” Well that’s the same fish. Salt fish. [Lyrics](http://www.janowick.net/jamaica.htm) [Harry Belafonte](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4r5C6MUqO4) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mahi-mahi-dolphins-vs-real-dolphins/143954.md?page=3)