| Family: |
Rachycentridae (Cobia) |
| Max. size: |
200 cm TL (male/unsexed); max.weight: 68 kg; max. reported age: 15 years |
| Environment: |
reef-associated; brackish; marine; depth range 0 - 1200 m, oceanodromous |
| Distribution: |
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: Canada (Ref. 5951) to Bermuda and Massachusetts, USA to Argentina (Ref. 7251), including the Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 9626) and entire Caribbean (Ref. 26938). Eastern Atlantic: Morocco to South Africa. Indo-West Pacific: East Africa (Ref. 2871, 5213, 6644, 30573) and Hokkaido, Japan to Australia. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal spines (total): 7-9; Dorsal soft rays (total): 26-33; Anal spines: 2-3; Anal soft rays: 22-28. This species is distinguished by the following characters: head broad and depressed; first dorsal fin usually with VIII short but strong isolated spines, not connected by a membrane; caudal fin lunate to emarginate in adults, upper lobe longer than lower, rounded in young with prolonged central rays. Colour of back and sides dark brown, with 2 sharply defined narrow silvery bands, belly yellowish (Ref. 10948, 90102). |
| Biology: |
Adults occur in a variety of habitats, over mud, sand and gravel bottoms; over coral reefs, off rocky shores (Ref. 10948) and in mangrove sloughs; inshore around pilings and buoys, and offshore around drifting and stationary objects; occasionally in estuaries (Ref. 9739). Form small groups and may pursue small pelagic inshore (Ref. 48635). Feed on crabs, fishes, and squids (Ref. 5213, 10948, 13442). Form spawning aggregations during the warm months in the western Atlantic; eggs and larvae planktonic (Ref. 12459). Caught in small quantities due to its solitary behavior (Ref. 9626). Caught mainly with handlines, and by trolling pelagically offshore over the continental shelf (Ref. 10948). Good food fish; marketed fresh (Ref. 5284), smoked, and frozen (Ref. 9987). Also caught for sport (Ref. 26938). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Least Concern (LC); Date assessed: 21 August 2012 Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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