Spawning and larviculture trials of cobia, Rachycentron canadum (Linnaeus, 1766) in the United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Cobia Rachycentron canadum, the sole representative of the family Rachycentridae, is a migratory pelagic species that occurs in tropical and subtropical seas except for the eastern Pacific (Arnold et al. 2002). It is a gonochoristic species that has demonstrated the capacity for high fecundity and ease of induced and natural spawning in captivity (Holt et al. 2007, Benetti et al. 2008a). They are multiple batch spawners with a protracted spawning period (Faulk and Halt 2003, Benetti et al. 2008b). The information available on the timing of gonadal maturation in different parts of the world indicates that cobia spawn from April through September with the peak in spring and early summer (Kilduff et al. 2002, Faulk and Halt 2003).