pompano dolphin
Coryphaena equiselis Linnaeus, 1758
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The pompano dolphinfish (Coryphaena equiselis) is a species of surface-dwelling ray-finned fish found in tropical and subtropical waters. They are one of only two members of the family Coryphaenidae, the other being the mahi-mahi or common dolphinfish. Pompano dolphinfish have a lifespan of three to four years. They are often mistaken for juvenile mahi-mahi; they are somewhat smaller than the related mahi-mahi, only reaching a maximum total length of 127 cm (50 in). Pompano dolphinfish have compressed heads and dorsal fins extending the entire length of their bodies. Mature males develop a protruding forehead, but not to the same extent as male mahi-mahi. Their backs are a brilliant blue-green, and their sides are a silvery-golden color. When they are removed from the water, the fish fade to a muted green-grey upon death. Despite the similar names, this fish is not related to the marine mammals also known as dolphins (family Delphinidae). See Coryphaena for the possible etymologies of "dolphinfish". Pompano dolphinfish are carnivorous, feeding primarily on small fish and squid.
Wikipedia contributors, Pompano dolphinfish; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T05:07:00.980743+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Coryphaena equiselis Linnaeus, 1758
- Name authority
- Linnaeus, 1758
- Common name
- pompano dolphin
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Carangiformes
- Family
- Coryphaenidae
- Genus
- Coryphaena
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: yes · Freshwater: no · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderCarangiformes
- familyCoryphaenidae Rafinesque, 1815
- genusCoryphaena Linnaeus, 1758
- speciesCoryphaena equiselis Linnaeus, 1758
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Coryphaena. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Common dolphin-fishCoryphaena hippurus Linnaeus, 1758 | CoryphaenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Coryphaena haletus | CoryphaenidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Coryphaena equisetis Osbeck, 1765 Osbeck, 1765 | synonym |
| Coryphaena lessonii Valenciennes, 1833 Valenciennes, 1833 | synonym |
| Lampugus neapolitanus Valenciennes, 1833 Valenciennes, 1833 | synonym |
| Lampugus punctulatus Valenciennes, 1833 Valenciennes, 1833 | synonym |
| Coryphaena aurata Rafinesque, 1810 Rafinesque, 1810 | synonym |
| Coryphaena azorica Valenciennes, 1833 Valenciennes, 1833 | synonym |
| Coryphaena equisetis Linnaeus, 1758 Linnaeus, 1758 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- Linnaeus, C. (1758). Systema Naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Laurentii Salvii. Holmiae [Stockholm]. [iii] + 824 pp. https://doi.org/10.5962/bhl.title.542 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:YRZ5. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.