Wahoo

The Wahoo Acanthocybium solandri is an oceanic fish found worldwide in tropical and subtropical seas especially near reefs or in holes in the seabed. Wahoo belongs to Scombridae family of fish and is reputedly known as one of the fastest fish in the sea reaching up to 70 km/hour.

Wahoo is a cigar shaped fish covered with small scales. It has around 20 blue vertical bands on its back which extend below the lower line of its ventral. Wahoo has a strong, large mouth with triangular teethes finely serrated.

A mature Wahoo has on average 2 m in length and 80 kg in weight. Wahoo are carnivorous fish feeding on jacks, herring, tuna, pilchards, squads or scads. A hungry Wahoo can even attempt to eat one of its own kind.

Wahoo travel in small groups of 2 to 10 individuals making it a hard to catch fish even for the most experienced fisherman.

Wahoo fish generally spawn during May and August every year. A mature female can produce up to 60 million buoyant eggs. Males travel long distances to spawn. Little it is known about what exactly triggers the female to lay the eggs but what it is certain is that the male has to fertilize the eggs quickly or else they will die. As a survival strategy the female lays the eggs sporadically throughout the spawn season. Typically the eggs are laid close to shore. Newly hatched Wahoo have 2.5 mm and prefer shallow water less than 100 m in depth. Wahoo grow relatively quick reaching sexual maturity in the second year of their lives. Usually Wahoo live around 6 years.

The Wahoo are commonly known as Barracuda, Kingfish, Malata Kingfish, Pacific King-fish, Queenfish.