Aquaculture of cobia

Cobia, a warm water fish, is one of the more suitable candidates for offshore aquaculture. Cobia are large pelagic fish, up to 2 metres (78 inches) long and 68 kilograms (150 pounds) in weight. They are solitary fish except when spawning, found in warm-temperate to tropical waters.Wild cobia broodstock are captured by professional fishermen. The fish are transferred into onboard-tanks on a transport vessel for transport to hatchery facilities. They are anesthetized with clove oil if necessary to reduce stress during transportation. They are also treated for ectoparasites on their gills and skin that could proliferate later after transfer to maturation tanks.Offshore aquaculture, regardless of the species, is beneficial because it can avoid conflict with recreational activities and local fisherman, as well as potentially improving the coastal aesthetics. Further, repositioning aquaculture facilities in less polluted open water environments can produce better products, and the high flushing rates experienced in the open ocean reduces the effect of effluents on benthic communities.