Saltwater Fish Illustrations - Mahi Mahi

This plate depicts a Mahi-Mahi (Coryphaena hippurus), rendered in careful lateral profile against a loose watercolor wash of pale blue-green open water. The specimen — a 26 lb. catch taken off Destin in the Gulf of Mexico — is illustrated with the species' most recognizable features: the steep, blunt forehead, the long continuous dorsal fin sweeping nearly the full length of the body, and the deeply forked tail. The coloration moves from deep blue-green and slate along the dorsal fin and upper body through iridescent yellow-gold flanks scattered with faint spots, finishing in warm amber-orange at the fins and tail. It is one of the more visually striking fish in the series, and the illustration handles that complexity without overstating it.

Published by Armstrong & Co. at The Riverside Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, this plate belongs to a body of American ichthyological illustration that combined scientific accuracy with a practiced artistic hand. The soft background wash and precise linework are characteristic of the period's finest natural history chromolithography.

This print is part of a broader series documenting Gulf of Mexico sport and food fish, including Wahoo, Snook, Spanish Mackerel, Red Snapper, and others — all available individually or as curated sets.