Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Perciformes
Family: Scombridae
Genus: Scomberomorini
Species: Acanthocybium solandri
Wahoo found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas. It is best known to sports fishermen. The flesh of the wahoo is white to grey, delicate to dense, and highly regarded by many gourmets. The taste is similar to mackerel, though arguably less pronounced.
Its body is elongated and covered with small, scarcely visible scales. The back is an iridescent blue, while the sides are silvery, with a pattern of irregular vertical blue bars and have razor sharp teeth. These colors fade rapidly at death.
Specimens have been recorded at up to 8.2 ft 2.5m) in length, and weighing up to 183 lb (83kg). Growth can be rapid. One specimen tagged at 11 lb (5kg) grew to 33 lb (15kg) in one year. Wahoo can swim up to 60 mph (97 km/h). They are some of the fastest fish in the sea. The mouth is large, and both the upper and lower jaws have a somewhat sharper appearance than those of mackerel.
Wahoo tend to be solitary or occur in loose-knit groups of two or three fish, but where conditions are suitable can be found in schools as large as 100 or more. Their diet is made up of other smaller fish and squid.
Although local wahoo populations can be affected by heavy commercial and sports fishing pressure, wahoo as a species are less susceptible to industrial commercial fishing than more tightly schooling and abundant species such as tuna.
Wahoo are regularly taken as a bycatch in various commercial fisheries, including long line fisheries for tuna, billfish, and mahi-mahi, and in tuna purse seine fisheries.
In 2003, the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council issued a Dolphin Wahoo Fishery Management Plan for the Atlantic. However, the species as a whole is not considered overfished.