The strangely named type of mackerel also known as an Ono in Hawaii is the wahoo. Its scientific name is Acanthocybium solandri, and it belongs to the scombroid family, alongside mackerels, tunas, and bonitos.
The name “ono” is Hawaiian and is commonly translated as “delicious,” an apt description of the fish’s prized white, firm flesh. Wahoo are also famous game fish because they are exceptionally fast, powerful, and difficult to land. Anglers often catch them by trolling in tropical and subtropical waters.
Wahoo live in warm oceans around the world, including the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. They have long, streamlined bodies, brilliant blue backs, silvery sides, and sharp teeth. Their colors fade quickly after death, so freshly caught fish can look much more vivid than market specimens.
A common mix-up is confusing wahoo with king mackerel or Spanish mackerel. They are related, but wahoo are a distinct species and are usually recognized by their more elongated shape and striking vertical blue bars.