Cobia
Rachycentron canadum
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- Distinguishing characteristics: The Cobia is a large, long, slim bodied fish with a flat head, a lower jaw that sticks out. The Cobia is overall a dark brown color with a dark horizontal stripe that runs from the eye to the tail.
In the Wild
- Habitat: Cobia are found in tropical saltwater with inlets any the shore and far in the ocean and also live in bays. Cobias are frequently found around buoys, pilings and wrecks in these areas.
- Diet: Cobia feed primarily on crabs, squid, and other fish.
- Predators: The dolphinfish is known to feed on immature cobia and Shortfin mako sharks are known to feed on adult cobia.
- Size: A common weight is of up to 50 pounds and they reach lengths of 20-47 inches.
- Breeding: The spawning of a cobia happens between the months of April to September in large offshore congregations where the females are capable of spawning up to 30 times during the season.
- Life Span: On average cobia live long lives of 15 years or more.
In the Aquatics Lab
- Diet: The cobia gets fed squid.
- Size: Our cobia is about 8 inches long.
- Quantity: We have one juvenile cobia in the aquatics lab.
Other information
- Virginia Regulations: In Virginia you can catch one cobia per day and it has to be at least 37 inches in a total length.
- Commercial Uses: Cobia can be caught for commercial use but it is not a min point for when catching these fish.