Consistently low mercury concentrations in dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus, an oceanic pelagic predator.

Compared to total mercury concentrations in other oceanic pelagic and syntopic fish species examined from waters of the southeastern United States (e.g., king mackerel, Scomberomorus cavalla; wahoo, Acanthocybium solanderi; yellowfin tuna, Thunnus albacares; blackfin tuna, T. atlanticus), total mercury concentrations in dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus, examined were consistently low. Dorsal-muscle tissue from 385 dolphinfish (317-1395 mm fork length) from Florida offshore waters was analyzed for total mercury content. Total mercury concentration in individual fish ranged from 0.012 to 0.55 mg/kg (wet weight), with a mean of 0.10 mg/kg (+/- 0.089 SD). Compared to mercury concentrations in other similar species, mercury concentrations detected in dolphinfish did not vary widely with respect to fish size, estimated age, or sex. A positive relationship between total mercury concentrations and fish length was observed, indicating that mercury tends to increase moderately over time as dolphinfish grow. Low mercury concentrations in dolphinfish occur on a global scale throughout tropical and subtropical waters. The short life span, rapid growth rate, known physiology, and feeding ecology of dolphinfish are comparable regardless of where they are found, suggesting that the forcing factors that influence mercury concentrations in this species are similar throughout its circumtropical range.