A formidable jumper, its brightly colored livery makes it stand out on the blue surface of the sea.

It is a fish, not a dolphin, although in English, perhaps because of its ability to jump, it is called dolphinfish.

The scientific name Coryphaena hippurus, or Coryphaena cavallina, refers instead to the particular morphology of the head, but also to its great resistance as a swimmer, which motivates the other name used in English-speaking countries, mahi mahi, which in the Hawaiian language means "strong". In Italy too, it is identified by a notable variety of names, depending on the regions in which it is widespread, therefore mainly the southern Tyrrhenian ones and the two largest islands. The dolphinfish's range is however much larger and includes the tropical and subtropical waters of the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans, where it is present as Coryphaena equiselis, smaller in size than its Mediterranean sisters.

The only species in the Coryphenidae family, the dolphin fish can reach one meter in length and weigh 15 kilos. It is a bony fish with an oblong body and flattened sides. The head, which in adult specimens has a characteristic hump, formed by a protruding bony crest at the level of the forehead. The eyes are small, the mouth oblique and the jaw prominent. It has a black dorsal fin that is high and long from the head to the forked tail. The pectoral fins, bright yellow, have a pointed shape like the ventral fins, while the anal fin, half as long as the dorsal fin, is black with a white edge.

What distinguishes the dolphin fish, making it unmistakable in its beauty, is the variety of its colors when alive: on the back, blue and green prevail, giving way to yellow on the sides and belly, while darker and golden spots are arranged on the sides and under the dorsal fin. The dead animal, instead, takes on a greyish colour.

The dolphin fish is a pelagic fish, which lives up to 85 meters deep in the open sea and in schools. It is a migrant, which also moves over long distances and on a seasonal basis. In spring, it approaches the coasts, where it finds greater availability of food, in particular schools of sardines and anchovies. But it also feeds on other fish, such as squid, crustaceans and zooplankton. A very skilled predator, it captures its prey on the surface or in mid-water, taking advantage of the great speed with which it swims and also its ability to jump.

The breeding season corresponds to the summer. The eggs float in the open sea, transported by the currents. The specimens reach sexual maturity within the first year of life.

It loves to stay in shady areas, for this reason, to capture it more easily, aids are used, such as large leaves, reeds and artificial shelters. Dolphin fish fishing has been practiced since ancient times in the Mediterranean, as evidenced by the fresco of the “Fisherman”, found in the Bronze Age archaeological site of Akrotiri, on the island of Santorini, Greece.