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Family Rachycentridae courtesy NOAA

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Top producing countries: China and Taiwan Province of China (P.C.)
Taiwan P.C.
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Production costs = ~$2.20/kg in 2001
Market value is based on size
 7.7 kg (17 lbs.) or more $5.50/kg in 2004 for whole fish
Taiwan keeps 8-10 kg cobia and sells them whole.
6-8 kg cobia are sent to Japan.
Fillets usually sent to other countries
Other countries where cobia aquaculture occurs:
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Bahamas, Belize, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Philippines, Puerto
Rico, USA, and Vietnam

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Spawning season in G.O.M. = April through
September
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Every 9-12 days, 15-20 times
Dispense eggs and sperm into the water; fertilization occurs
Larvae hatch ~24-36 hours following fertilization
Day 30 – Juvenile already has markings and coloration of adult cobia
Age during first spawning season
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Males ---- about 1-2 yrs old
Females ---- about 2-3 yrs old

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Broodstock caught in wild during normal spawning season
Spawning
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Can be stimulated in 2 ways:
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Hormones
Controlling photoperiod and water temperature www.fao.org
www.lib.noaa.gov

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Hatcheries, nurseries, and grow-out cages employed
Larvae raised in “greenwater” nursery ponds
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Until day 20
Days 20-45
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Introduced to buoyant, pelleted food; reach 2-5g
Days 45-75
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Moved to bigger ponds; reach 30g
Days 75-150/180
 www.fao.org
Moved to even bigger ponds or near-shore cages where they reach 1.3-2.2 lbs.
Moved to grow-out cages
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13-22 lbs.

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Fish, crab, shrimp, squid
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Feed cobia sinking and buoyant pellets
6 days a week
Blue crab --- naturelssi.com
Squid ---- dpi.nsw.gov.au
Shrimp ----- fishwatch.gov
Cobia ---- seasquaredcharters.com

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At least 5ppm (mg/L)
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When spawning ----- ~7.8
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>79 degrees Fahrenheit (26 degrees Celsius)

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Quick growth rate
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Good FCR
Fantastic flesh quality
Limited wild population
Can handle a large variety of salinities
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Difficult to obtain trash fish to feed them
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Pond cultures have potential to cause water quality problems & excess nutrient loading in the outflowing water
Prone to diseases

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Bester, Cathleen. "FLMNH Ichthyology Department: Cobia." FLMNH Ichthyology
Department: Cobia. Florida Museum of Natural History, n.d. Web. 01 July 2013.
<http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/cobia/cobia.html>.
Kaiser, Jeffrey B., and Joan Holt. "Species Profile: Cobia." Southern Regional
Aquaculture Center, Aug. 2005. Web. June 2013.
<https://srac.tamu.edu/index.cfm/event/getFactSheet/whichfactsheet/180/
>.
Perschbacher, Peter, Dr. "Rachycentridae." Rachycentridae. Aquaculture/Fisheries
Center, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, n.d. Web. 06 July 2013.
<http://www.uaex.edu/pperschbacher/Fish/Cobia.htm>.
"Rachycentron Canadum." FAO Fisheries & Aquaculture Department. Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2013. Web. June 2013.
<http://www.fao.org/fishery/culturedspecies/Rachycentron_canadum/en>.