wahoo (Acanthocybium solandri) - Hawaii Seafood

Ono<br />

<strong>wahoo</strong> (<strong>Acanthocybium</strong> <strong>solandri</strong>)<br />

Wahoo is commonly known<br />

as ono in <strong>Hawaii</strong>. Ono may grow<br />

to more than 100 pounds in round<br />

weight, but the usual size of the fish<br />

caught in <strong>Hawaii</strong> is 8 to 30 pounds.<br />

Seasonality & How<br />

They Are Caught<br />

Availability and Seasonality:<br />

The supply (and price) of fresh ono<br />

is as limited and erratic as that of<br />

locally-caught mahimahi. Not an especially<br />

abundant fish, ono is most<br />

available in <strong>Hawaii</strong> during the summer<br />

and fall (May-October).<br />

Fishing Methods:<br />

Trollers catch about 58% of the<br />

commercial ono landed in <strong>Hawaii</strong>.<br />

The most of the rest are caught on<br />

longline gear. Among sport fishermen,<br />

ono is popular as a light-tackle<br />

gamefish. Ono rarely school, but<br />

groups may be found around fish aggregation<br />

buoys.<br />

Surface catches indicate that ono<br />

associate with banks, pinnacles<br />

and flotsam. However, longline<br />

catches suggest that this species is<br />

also widely distributed in the open<br />

ocean.<br />

Distribution:<br />

Troll-caught ono is marketed<br />

through the Honolulu fish auction,<br />

through intermediary buyers on all<br />

major islands, and directly to restaurants.<br />

The longline catch is sold<br />

primarily through the Honolulu<br />

auction.<br />

Quality<br />

The shelf life of fresh ono is relatively<br />

short -- 10 days when properly<br />

cared for. Ono keeps longer if stored<br />

dressed (especially if hung head<br />

down) and not filleted until shortly<br />

before use.<br />

The first external evidence of deterioration<br />

in a whole ono is discoloration<br />

of the skin around the head<br />

and gill plates and a general softening<br />

of the flesh.<br />

In a dressed fish, discoloration of<br />

the flesh exposed around the collarbone<br />

would indicate a loss of quality.<br />

Poor quality fillets have opaque,<br />

milky flesh or they may be gaping.<br />

Product Forms and Yields:<br />

Local fishermen market their ono as<br />

fresh, whole fish. Most is purchased<br />

by up-scale restaurants in <strong>Hawaii</strong><br />

and on the mainland. Some restaurants<br />

buy fillets from intermediary<br />

suppliers, but others prefer to receive<br />

the fish headed and gutted to<br />

retain better quality. About 60 to<br />

65% of whole fish weight can be recovered<br />

as fillet.<br />

Color, Taste, Texture:<br />

Ono flesh is whiter, flakier, and has a

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more delicate texture than the meat<br />

of other fast-swimming, pelagic<br />

species. Although ono may make<br />

oceanic migrations as far as those<br />

of tuna and marlin, it contains less<br />

of the strong-tasting “blood meat”<br />

muscle that the latter species use for<br />

long-distance swimming.<br />

Preparations<br />

Although ono is versatile in its uses,<br />

cooking methods suitable for “lean”<br />

not dry out when cooked. One way<br />

poach.<br />

Historical Note<br />

Ono is a <strong>Hawaii</strong>an word meaning<br />

“good to eat.” The ono was said by<br />

the ancient <strong>Hawaii</strong>ans to be the parent<br />

of the opelu, a mackerel scad of<br />

great importance to the subsistence<br />

of the early <strong>Hawaii</strong>ans.<br />

mapped the <strong>Hawaii</strong>an Islands found<br />

ono to be plentiful off the island of<br />

Oahu. Maps of the time indicate that<br />

a very common spelling of the word<br />

“Oahu” was “Wahoo,” and this is beother<br />

name.<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong> <strong>Seafood</strong> Council<br />

Acknowledgement: produced with support from NOAA<br />

www.hawaii-seafood.org