SPORTFISHINGMAG.COM 43JASON ARNOLD / JASONARNOLDPHOTO.COM (TOP), JIM HENDRICKS (ABOVE), RICHARD HERRMANN (OPPOSITE)
of the West Indies at Cave Hill, Barbados. This
includes hydroids and small crustaceans such
as crabs and shrimp, as well as zooplankton and
the fry of pelagic fish. All of these organisms in
turn feed small jacks and other species, such
as filefish, flying fish and triggerfish, she adds.
Small fish find not only forage but also a place to
hide in and under the weeds from predators such
as mahimahi, tuna, billfish, sharks and wahoo.
Much of the sargassum in the Gulf of Mexico
and along the Eastern Seaboard originates in
the ever-shifting and borderless Sargasso Sea,
an aggregation of sargassum spanning approxi-
mately 1.4 million square miles in the middle of
the North Atlantic Ocean. This massive marine
canopy is often likened to an upside-down
rainforest. Sections of the forest are spun away
and carried west by the Antilles Current on the
southern edge of the sea, merging with the Gulf
Stream, which carries the weeds north. Some
of the sargassum rejoins the Sargasso Sea as
the Gulf Stream turns east in the upper latitudes.MAHI CONNECTION
In a National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration study off North Carolina, 81 fish
species were documented using sargassum for
shelter and food. “Most of these fishes are juve-
niles and occur within Gulf Stream waters,” the
report states. Predatory fish include amberjack
and tuna. Yet, no offshore game fish is more
closely associated with floating weed than
mahimahi (aka dolphinfish).
Healthy mahi populations and sargassum
are closely aligned, says Don Hammond, formerdirector of Dolphinfish Research Program,
based in Charleston, South Carolina. “Our
research indicates that dolphinfish prefer to
spawn around sargassum,” Hammond reveals.
“The young are genetically programed to seek
shadows for protection.” Sargassum grants the
young mahi plenty of shade.
Data collected by the program indicates 60
to 70 percent of mahi that are caught are taken
around sargassum along the East Coast, he says.
“Dolphin[fish] can grow to 40 pounds in
12 months,” Hammond points out. It takes a
tremendous amount of food to fuel such fast
growth, and mahi find much of their fodder
under and around the weeds. “Inspections of
stomach contents have revealed everythingTop: Sargassum attracts
a wide range of bait
species, including blue
runners and rainbow
runners, that in turn
attract larger offshore
fish. Above: Mahimahi
(aka dolphinfish) is the
game fish most closely
associated with floating
patches of weed in warm
ocean waters worldwide.