A review of the larviculture of cobia Rachycentron canadum, a warm water marine fish

Cobia Rachycentron canadum is a marine finfish species with emerging global potential for mariculture. Positive culture attributes include capacity for natural and induced tank spawning, growth rates in excess of 6 kg/year, high disease resistance, high survival rates (post-larviculture stage) in tanks and net pens, adaptability to commercially available extruded diets, and high-quality fillets suitable for the sashimi as well as white tablecloth restaurant markets. Nonetheless, cobia production faces several bottlenecks limiting industrial expansion including limitations in fingerling production per unit volume. This paper will provide an overview of production limitations, and focus on recent spawning and larviculture research results and ongoing research initiatives. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.