Aquaculture of cobia

A female broodstock cobia weighing about 8 kilograms prior to transport to broodstock holding tanks

Cobia, a warm water fish, is one of the more suitable candidates for offshore aquaculture.[1][2] Cobia are large pelagic fish, up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) long and 68 kilograms (150 lb) in weight. They are solitary fish except when spawning, found in warm-temperate to tropical waters.

Their rapid growth rate in aquaculture, as well as the high quality of their flesh, makes cobia potentially one of the more important potential marine fish for aquaculture production.[3] Currently, cobia are cultured in nurseries and grow-out offshore cages in many parts of Asia and off the coast of the United States, Mexico and Panama. In Taiwan cobia weighing 100–600 grams are cultured for 1–1.5 years to reach the 6–8 kilograms (13–18 lb) needed for export to Japan. Currently, around 80% of marine cages in Taiwan are devoted to cobia culture.[2] In 2004, the FAO reported that 80.6% of the world's cobia production was by China and Taiwan.[4] After China and Taiwan, Vietnam is the third largest producer of farmed cobia in the world where production was estimated at 1500 tonnes in 2008.[2] The possibility is also being examined of growing hatchery reared cobia in offshore cages around Puerto Rico and the Bahamas.[5]

Greater depths, stronger currents, and distance from shore all act to reduce the environmental impacts often associated with fin fish aquaculture. Offshore cage systems could become some of the most environmentally sustainable methods for commercial marine fish aquaculture.[6] However, some problems still exist in cobia culture that needs to be addressed and solved for increasing production. These include high mortality rates due to stress during transport from nursery tanks or inshore cages out to grow-out cages. Also, diseases in the nursery stage and the grow-out culture can result in low survival rates and a poor harvest.[2]

  1. ^ Kaiser, J.B. & Holt, G.J. 2004. Cobia: a new species for aquaculture in the US. World Aquaculture, 35: 12–14
  2. ^ a b c d Liao, I.C., Huang, T.S., Tsai, W.S., Hsueh, C.M., Chang, S.L. & Leano, E.M. (2004) "Cobia culture in Taiwan: current status and problems" Aquaculture, 237: 155–65.
  3. ^ Nhu, V. C., Nguyen, H. Q., Le, T. L., Tran, M. T., Sorgeloos, P., Dierckens, K., Reinertsen H., Kjorsvik, E. & Svennevig, N. (2011) Cobia Rachycentron canadum aquaculture in Vietnam: recent developments and prospects Aquaculture 315: 20–25
  4. ^ Rachycentron canadum FAO Cultured Aquatic Species Information, Rome. Updated 23 May 2007.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Benetti2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Benetti, D.D., Alarcon, J.F., Stevens, O.M., O'Hanlon, B., Rivera, J.A., Banner-Stevens, G. and Rotman, F.J. (2003) Advances in hatchery and growout technology of marine finfish candidate species for offshore aquaculture in the Caribbean Proceedings of the Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, 54: 475–487