Scientific Name
Rachycentron canadum

Common Name
Cobia

Biology
Occur in a variety of habitats, over mud, sand and gravel bottoms; over coral reefs, off rocky shores and in mangrove sloughs; inshore around pilings and buoys, and offshore around drifting and stationary objects; occasionally in estuaries. Form small groups and may pursue small pelagic inshore. Feed on crabs, fishes, and squids. Spawn during the warm months in the western Atlantic; eggs and larvae planktonic. Caught in small quantities due to its solitary behavior. Good food fish; marketed fresh , smoked, and frozen. Also caught for sport.

Classification

Classified By

Linnaeus, 1766

Class

Ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii)

Order

Perch-like fish (Perciformes)

Family

Cobia (Rachycentridae)

Distribution

Region

Worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters, but absent in the eastern Pacific (Ref. 9739, 33390) and the Pacific Plate, except marginally (Ref. 10948). Western Atlantic

Distribution

Worldwide in tropical and subtropical waters, but absent in the eastern Pacific and the Pacific Plate, except marginally. Western Atlantic: Canada to Bermuda and Massachusetts, USA to Argentina , including the Gulf of Mexico and entire Caribbean. Eastern Atlantic: Morocco to South Africa. Indo-West Pacific: East Africa and Hokkaido, Japan to Australia.

Range

47°N - 37°S, 98°W - 166°E

Environment

Climate

Subtropical

Water Temperature From

Unknown °C

Water Temperature To

Unknown °C

Depth From - meters

0 m

Depth To - meters

1200 m

Zone

reef-associated

Environment

Marine; brackish; reef-associated; oceanodromous ; depth range 0 - 1200 m

Trophic Level

3.96 s.e. 0.62 Based on diet studies.

Occurs in Marine / Salt water

True

Occurs in Brackish water

True

Occurs in Fresh Water

False

Occurs on Reefs

True

Is kept in Aquariums

False

Physical Size and Genetics

Maximum Length

200 cm

Common Length

110 cm

Phylogenetic Diversity Index

PD50 = 1.5000 many relatives (e.g. carps) 0.5 - 2.0 few relatives (e.g. lungfishes)

Human Uses and Population

Human Uses

Fisheries: minor commercial; aquaculture: commercial; gamefish: yes

Vulnerability

Moderate vulnerability (44 of 100)

Resilience

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.09-0.22; tm=2-3; tmax=15)

Threat To Humans

Harmless

IUCN Red List Status

Not Evaluated