In Hawaii, “Ahi” refers to two species, the Bigeye Tuna and the Yellowfin Tuna. Similar in general appearance, the Bigeye may be recognized by its plump body, its larger head and its unusually large eyes. Caught in deeper, cooler water, Bigeye Tuna typically has a higher fat content than Yellowfin and is preferred by sashimi lovers. The majority of Hawaiʻi’s bigeye tuna are caught by deep-set longline fishing gear off shore of Hawaiʻi. The remainder of Hawaiian Bigeye Tuna landings come from handliners and trollers. Peak Bigeye landings occur from October through April. Learn More

Opah or moonfish is one of the most colorful of the commercial fish species available in Hawaii. A silvery-grey upper body color shades to a rose red dotted with white spots toward the belly. Its fins are crimson, and its large eyes are encircled with gold. The moonfish’s large, round profile may be the origin of its name. Opah have three types of flesh, each a different color. Behind the head and along the backbone is an attractive orange colored flesh. Toward the belly, the flesh pales to a pink color. The fish’s cheeks yield dark red flesh. These types of flesh all cook to a white color. Opah landed in Hawaii range from 60 to over 200 pounds in weight. A pelagic wandering species, it is often found in the company of tunas and billfish. All of the opah landed in Hawaii are caught by longlining. Almost all opah sold in the U.S. market are from Hawaii. Opah are caught year-round in Hawaiʻi, but landings seem to peak in April-August. Learn More.

Kajiki is commonly known as Pacific blue marlin, or a`u, the Hawaiian name applied to all marlin species. It is distinguishable by its larger size, heavier bill, and rougher, dark/black skin. It lacks the obvious stripes of the nairagi. Kajiki caught around the Hawaiian Islands can get as large as 1,600 pounds in round weight, but the usual size of fish marketed is between 80 and 300 pounds in round weight. All Hawaii blue marlin are line-caught. Trolling boats using lures and baits, and longliners fishing off shore land Hawaii’s blue marlin.
The heaviest landings of Kajiki are June through October. Learn More.

In Hawaii, “Ahi” refers to two species, the Bigeye Tuna and the Yellowfin Tuna. Yellowfin Tuna are caught year-round in Hawaiʻi’s waters but are most abundant during the summer season (May-September). Yellowfin have a slimmer profile than the bigeye tuna and have distinctive bright yellow finlets and soft dorsal and anal fins that tend to lengthen with age. Large fish (over 100 pounds) are usually caught in deep open ocean waters and are preferred for their typically higher fat content and greater yields.  Most of Hawaiʻi’s Yellowfin Tuna are caught by deep-set longline fishing gear off shore of Hawaiʻi. The remainder of Hawaiʻi landings come from trollers, handliners and pole & line boats (aku boats). Learn More.

Commonly called Tombo Ahi in Hawaiʻi. “Tombo” means dragonfly in Japanese and refers to the very long pectoral fins of the albacore that can equal as much as 30% of the total length. Tombo is the lightest and mildest in flavor of all Hawaii’s tunas. It is suitable for many different preparations. All Hawaiʻi albacore tuna are line-caught.  Hawaiʻi Tombo may be caught by handliners, trollers or longline vessels. Peak harvest is from April through October. Learn More.

A local favorite, Aku or Skipjack Tuna are extremely important food fish in Hawaiian and Pacific Island cultures and in Japan. Aku has the most pronounced taste of all of Hawaii’s tunas. It is the preferred species for many ethnic dishes, especially poke (Hawaiian-style raw fish) and tataki (Japanese-style seared fish). Many consumers in Hawaii prefer sashimi prepared from large aku to that from ahi. The majority of Hawaiʻi skipjack tuna are caught by pole & line (aku boats) using live bait to attract fish and barbless hooks to catch them. This traditional style of fishing comes from Japan. The remainder of landings come from Hawaii trollers and longliners. Learn more.

Ehu or Ruby Snapper is a slow growing, deep-water bottomfish found throughout the western Pacific. It is caught along with other snappers, jacks, and groupers in the bottomfish fisheries in many Pacific island states. The most productive fishery is the Hawaiian deep slope fishery. In the main Hawaiian Islands, deep
bottomfish biomass declined from the 1960 to the 1980s, but has since been stable and is currently at moderate levels. Fishery regulations include restricted fishing areas, prohibition of destructive gears, and catch limits for the Hawaiian fishery. The principal gear used in these fisheries is hook-and-line, which does not damage the seafloor and results in moderate levels of by-catch. Learn More.

Two species of pomfret, also known as monchong in Hawaii are harvested in small quantities by the longline and bottomfish handline fisheries. The predominant species is the sickle pomfret, distinguished by the forked shape of its fins and large scales. Monchong are landed and marketed fresh, sold at the Honolulu fish auction. Restaurants are the primary customers for monchong in Hawaii and the rest of the U.S. All Hawaii monchong are line-caught. Longline boats harvest most of the monchong catch in Hawaii. However, some monchong are also caught by deepwater handline gear with power reels. Learn More. 

Ehu or short-tail red snapper, looks similar to its bottomfish cousin, the Onaga. Ehu have a shorter tail than Onaga and can be distinguished a distinct yellow stripe running along the upper third of its body from head to tail. Like many of the deep-sea snappers of Hawai‘i, Ehu live near underwater headlands and areas of high relief such as seamounts anywhere from 600 to 1,000 feet deep. They are part of the heavily managed “Deep Seven Bottomfish” of Hawai’I which also includes Opakapaka, Onaga, Kalekale, Lehi, Gindai, and Hapuʻupuʻu. Learn More.
 

Akule or big-eye scad is a tropical fish that is found in huge schools either inshore or in the open ocean around the world. It is the most popular reef fish in Hawaii, and is often used as live bait to catch larger fish such as marlin and ahi tuna. Akule are bluish to greenish silver on the upper third of their body, fading to white on the lower two-thirds. The fish resembles a mackerel with a long and slender body, but earns its “big-eye” status from enormous eyes. It is a relatively small fish, growing to about a foot long (30 cm). It has a sweet, oily flavor similar to mackerel and is great for grilling. Learn More.

Ehu or short-tail red snapper, looks similar to its bottomfish cousin, the Onaga. Ehu have a shorter tail than Onaga and can be distinguished a distinct yellow stripe running along the upper third of its body from head to tail. Like many of the deep-sea snappers of Hawai‘i, Ehu live near underwater headlands and areas of high relief such as seamounts anywhere from 600 to 1,000 feet deep. They are part of the heavily managed “Deep Seven Bottomfish” of Hawai’I which also includes Opakapaka, Onaga, Kalekale, Lehi, Gindai, and Hapuʻupuʻu. Learn More.

Opakapaka, also known as Hawaiian pink snapper, is found at depths between 180 and 600 feet. Opakapaka has a clear, light pink flesh with a delicate flavor that has earned it the reputation as Hawaiʻi’s premium snapper. Caught year-round in the Hawaiian Islands, there is a distinct peak in landings during the winter season (October-February), particularly in the fishery around the main Hawaiian Islands. Fish caught during the winter months tend to have a higher fat content than those caught in the summer, and opakapaka yields the best sashimi during the winter. Opakapaka range in size from 1 to 18 pounds. It grows larger in the Hawaiian Islands than anywhere else in the South Pacific. Opakapaka are harvested exclusively with vertical hook-and-line gear. Learn More.

Ono or wahoo is a close relative of the king mackerel. Built like a torpedo, they are fast swimmers. Ono are most available in Hawaiʻi during the summer and fall (May-October). Ono may grow to more than 100 pounds in weight, but the usual size of the fish caught in Hawaiʻi is 8 to 30 pounds. Hawaiian ono are line-caught with the majority of catch attributed to longline boats and some trollers using lures and baits. European explorers who first mapped the Hawaiian Islands found ono to be plentiful off the island of Oʻahu. Maps of the time indicate that a very common spelling of the word “Oahu” was “Wahoo,” and this is believed to be the origin of the fish’s other name. Learn More

Akule or big-eye scad is a tropical fish that is found in huge schools either inshore or in the open ocean around the world. It is the most valuable inshore fish in Hawaiʻi, both in terms of catch and value. 
Akule are bluish to greenish silver on the upper third of their body, fading to white on the lower two-thirds. The fish resembles a mackerel with a long and slender body, but earns its “big-eye” status from enormous eyes. It is a relatively small fish, growing to about a foot long (30 cm). It has a sweet, oily flavor similar to mackerel and is great for grilling. Learn More. 

Two species of pomfret, also known as monchong in Hawaii are harvested in small quantities by the longline and bottomfish handline fisheries. The predominant species is the sickle pomfret, distinguished by the forked shape of its fins and large scales. Monchong are landed and marketed fresh, sold at the Honolulu fish auction. Restaurants are the primary customers for monchong in Hawaii and the rest of the U.S. All Hawaii monchong are line-caught. Longline boats harvest most of the monchong catch in Hawaii. However, some monchong are also caught by deepwater handline gear with power reels. Learn More.