Cobia
📖 Overview
Adults 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 crustaceans (inlcuding crabs), small fishes, and squids . Form spawning aggregations during the warm months in the western Atlantic; eggs and larvae planktonic . Caught in small quantities due to its solitary behavior . Caught mainly with handlines, and by trolling pelagically offshore over the continental shelf . Good food fish; marketed fresh , smoked, and frozen . Also caught for sport .
🔬 Taxonomy
🐟 Physical Description
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 .: elongated; Cross section: oval.
🌀 Behaviour
Behavioural data for Cobia is currently being reviewed.
🦐 Diet
Diet information for Cobia is currently being compiled.
🥚 Reproduction
Form spawning aggregations during the warm months in the western Atlantic; eggs and larvae planktonic .
🌍 Habitat & Distribution
Marine; brackish; reef-associated; oceanodromous ; depth range 0 - 1200 m . Subtropical; 17°C - 32°C ; 47°N - 37°S, 98°W - 166°E South Africa.
🌿 Ecology
crustaceans (inlcuding crabs), small fishes, and squids (Ref
📐 Morphometrics
🌡️ Water Parameters & Tolerance
🛡️ Conservation Assessment
📊 Population Risk & Fisheries
🌐 Names & Taxonomy
Scientific Synonyms
| Scientific Name | Author | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apolectus niger | Bloch | 1793 | Synonym |
| Centronotus gardenii | Lacepède | 1801 | Synonym |
| Centronotus spinosus | Mitchill | 1815 | Synonym |
| Elacate atlantica | Cuvier | 1832 | Synonym |
| Elacate bivittata | Cuvier | 1832 | Synonym |
| Elacate canada | Linnaeus | 1766 | Synonym |
| Elacate falcipinnis | Gosse | 1851 | Synonym |
| Elacate malabarica | Cuvier | 1832 | Synonym |
| Elacate motta | Cuvier | 1829 | Synonym |
| Elacate nigerrima | Swainson | 1839 | Synonym |
| Elacate nigra | Bloch | 1793 | Synonym |
| Elacate pondiceriana | Cuvier | 1832 | Synonym |
| Gasterosteus canadus | Linnaeus | 1766 | Synonym |
| Meladerma nigerrima | Swainson | 1839 | Synonym |
| Naucrates niger | Bloch | 1793 | Synonym |
| Rachicentron canadum | Linnaeus | 1766 | Synonym |
| Rachycentrodon canadum | Linnaeus | 1766 | Synonym |
| Rachycentron typus | Kaup | 1826 | Synonym |
| Rachycentrum canadum | Linnaeus | 1766 | Synonym |
| Scomber niger | Bloch | 1793 | Synonym |
| Thynnus canadensis | Gronow | 1854 | Synonym |
🗺️ Global Occurrence Map
Occurrence records from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) - 792 records indexed .
👥 Community & Contribute
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