Ono - Wahoo

I. Biological Description

Ono (Acanthocybium solandri), commonly known as wahoo, is a close relative of the king mackerel. Unlike true mackerel, ono rarely school, but groups may be found around fish aggregation buoys. Surface catches indicate that ono associate with banks, pinnacles and flotsam. However, longline catches suggest that this species is also widely distributed in the open ocean.

Ono may grow to more than 100 pounds in round weight, but the usual size of the fish caught in Hawaii is 8 to 30 pounds in round weight.

II. Of Special Interest For Buying/Distributing

Availability And Seasonality: The supply (and price) of fresh ono is as limited and erratic as that of locally-caught mahimahi. Not an especially abundant fish, ono is most available in Hawaii during the summer and fall (May-October).

Fishing Methods: About 80% of the commercial ono landed in Hawaii is caught by trollers. The remainder is caught on longline gear. Among sport fishermen, ono is popular as a light-tackle gamefish.

Distribution: Troll-caught ono is marketed through fish auctions in Honolulu and Hilo, through intermediary buyers on all major islands, and directly to restaurants. The longline catch is sold primarily through the Honolulu auction.

Substitution: It is not possible for restaurants to offer fresh mahimahi throughout the year, so chefs have looked to other white-fleshed species, including ono, as substitutes. Thus, ono often keeps company with mahimahi as a popular entree on the menus of restaurants in Hawaii and the U.S. mainland. Although ono is used as a substitute for mahimahi, mahimahi is more moist and sweeter than ono.

III. Of Special Interest For Preparation/Quality Control

Ono fillet Shelf Life And Quality Control: The shelf life of fresh ono is relatively short -- 10 days when properly cared for (see Table 3). Ono keeps longer if stored whole (especially if hung head down) and not filleted until shortly before use. When the fish is headed and gutted, the collar bone and belly areas are exposed to bacteria which can then cause accelerated deterioration of the remaining flesh.

The first external evidence of deterioration in a whole ono is discoloration of the skin around the head and gill plates and a general softening of the flesh. In a dressed fish, discoloration of the flesh exposed around the collarbone would indicate a loss of quality. Poor quality fillets have opaque, milky flesh or they may be cracked.

Product Forms And Yields: Local fishermen market their ono as fresh, whole fish. Most is purchased by up-scale restaurants in Hawaii and on the mainland. Some restaurants buy fillets from intermediary suppliers, but others prefer to receive the fish headed and gutted to retain better quality. About 60 to 65% of whole fish weight can be recovered as fillet (see Table 5). Although one of the best fish for smoking, ono is too expensive to be put to this use in Hawaii.

IV. Of Special Interest To Consumers/Foodservice Personnel

Color, Taste, Texture: Ono flesh is whiter, flakier, and has a more delicate texture than the meat of other fast-swimming, pelagic species. Although ono may make oceanic migrations as far as those of tuna and marlin, it contains less of the strong-tasting "blood meat" muscle that the latter species use for long-distance swimming.

Preparations: Although ono is versatile in its uses, cooking methods suitable for "lean" fish (those with low fat content) are recommended so that the flesh does not dry out when cooked. One way to retain moisture in a lean fish is to poach.

V. Historical Note

Ono is a Hawaiian word meaning "good to eat." The ono was said by the ancient Hawaiians to be the parent of the opelu, a mackerel scad of great importance to the subsistence of the early Hawaiians.

The European explorers who first mapped the Hawaiian Islands found ono to be plentiful off the island of Oahu. 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.