Cobia Rachycentron canadum
(Dr. Patrick Rice holding an adult Cobia)
Cobia is one of the prime candidate aquaculture species to be cultured worldwide in tropical waters. Ideally water temperature minimum should be not below 20 ºC. Cobia meets all the criteria to be a very successful aquacultured fish species to come to supermarkets in the US, Europe and other parts the world. Although it is an easy species to culture, it is also quite susceptible to disease. One big difference to Salmon and temperate species such as the European Seabass and Sea Bream is that culture water temperature is a lot higher. Therefore most culture operations are (and will be) in developing or underdeveloped countries. The latter appears to be an important and somewhat unexpected challenge still holding back it's production and promised appearance in world markets.
We strongly believe in diversification as a neccesity in the current market place and suggest from the onset to culture other valuable species in addition to cobia. As a first choice, we suggest a Yellowtail Jack species, such as the Almaco Jack (Seriola rivoliana, family Carangidae) which has a ready market due to its high flesh quality and sashimi value. In the Caribbean, snapper species, such as the Yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus, family Lutjanidae) and the Mutton Snapper (Lutjanus analis, family Lutjanidae) are very popular, sought-after food fish, marketed and served as a whole fish. There are several other suitable candidate species to choose from and whose selection depends on geographical location and culture condition as well as (seafood) marketing strategy.
List of selected tropical marine fish aquaculture candidate species
In the Americas, the Caribbean and allmost all of Brazil have environmental conditions that are well suited for the propagation of Cobia. Many locations in the Indo-Pacific are also well suited for Cobia, i.e. from the Red Sea to Southern Taiwan (Cobia Distribution Map). The potential of cobia aquaculture in the eastern Atlantic, i.e. off the West coast of Africa is unknown. Our economic analysis and experience in the Americas so far, has convinced us that operations below a production level of about 200 ton per year did not have the size to take advantage of the economies of scale that seem essential to succed in industrial, open-ocean, growout aquaculture of cobia.
Other species of great interest to us are groupers such as the Goliath Grouper (Epinephelus itajara), the Nassau Grouper (Epinephelus striatus), and the Red Hind, (Epinephelus guttatus), all family (Serranidae). Other potential candidates are Florida Pompano Trachinotus carolinus, family Carangidae) and common snook, Centropomus undecimalis, (familyCentropomidae).
The most promising tuna candidate species for the tropical aquaculture is the Yellowfin Tuna (Thunnus albacares, family Scombridae).
Bluefin tuna (Thunnus thunnus, family Scombridae), requires slightly colder water temperatures, and may be considered a warm-temperate species. We have extensive experience also with warm-temperate marine fish species, such as the White Seabass (Atractoscion nobilis, a member of the family Sciaenidae), the California Halibut (Paralichthys californicus, family Paralichthyidae), and the Yellowtail Jack (Seriola lalandi, family Carangidae off the coast of California. We would consider a serious request for bluefin aquaculture, i.e. hatchery production of fingerlings and open ocean cage growout.
For warm-temperate locations we recommend other high-value candidate species such as Flounders, family Paralichthyidae) in indoor, closed systems, then a Meagre, a relative of the Mulloway or other Sciaenid, and Sea Bream, family Sparidae) (ladder two recommended for production in cages). All these are suitable candidate species for a diversified aquaculture production of marine finfish and seafood.
Dr. Refik Orhun
Founder of Sciencefish Tropical Marine Fish Aquaculture and Seafood Quality
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