Wahoo, aka Ono in Hawai'i (which also means "good to eat"), is a pelagic species that exists in both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. They are shaped like a bullet and are one of the open-ocean's fastest species. Wahoo rarely school and can be found all over the Pacific.
Our Wahoo are brought in as longline bycatch from vessels targetting Bigeye tuna in the eastern and central pacific, between Hawai'i and California. Most fish are about 20lbs each, but they can get up to 100lbs on rare occasions.
European explorers who mapped the Hawaiian islands found Wahoo to be plentiful around the island of Oahu. Over time the fish took on the name of the island, and the spelling changed, thus giving us the modern name of "Wahoo" for this species.
Culinary Tips - Wahoo is like a mix between swordfish and tuna, so it is perfect for the grill and also delicious when prepared in raw preparations like poke.
Catch Method - Deep-set Pelagic Longline bycatch
Sustainability - Pacific Wahoo are caught as bycatch from the eastern and central Pacific bigeye tuna fishery, which is rated Good Alternative by MBA Seafood Watch. Wahoo reproduce relatively quickly and are considered mid-trophic level predators like Mahi Mahi, so they are not as critical to the structure of the open-ocean ecosystem as sharks.
- MBA Seafood Watch rating: Good Alternative
- NOAA Fish Stock Sustainability Index: N/A