Cobia is a fish caught here locally in the Broad River.  You know when you drive over the bridge and there are 30 boats out there?   Chances are they are cobia fishing.  It is a tasty white fish with a flaky flesh (very similar to salmon).  Cobia  have elongated bodies and broad flattened heads.  They have small eyes and their lower jaw projects slightly past their upper jaw.  They have bands of fibrous teeth on their jaws, tongue and roof of their mouth. They are normally dark brown in color except when spawning when the lighten and change to a more prominently striped pattern.   They can reach around 78 inches (6 1/2 feet) long and weigh up to 150 pounds.  Their pectoral fins are normally horizontal so that when seen in the water can sometimes be mistaken for a small shark.  There are 7-9 dorsal spines, each depressible into a groove, that are very sharp and stout.  Cobia do not have an air bladder and therefore cannot maintain water depth without utilizing energy.  Care must be taken when handling these strong fish to avoid injury.

Cobia are pelagic (prefer to live in open water instead of living near shores or inlets) and are normally solitary except for spawning.  They will however congregate at reefs, wrecks, harbours, buoys and other structural oases.  They may enter estuaries and mangroves in search of prey.  They are able to tolerate a wide range of temperatures and salinity living in the Atlantic, throughout the Caribbean and in the Indo-Pacific off India, Australia and Japan.  They make seasonal migrations along the coasts in search of water in their preferred temperature range. Here locally, they winter in the Gulf of Mexico, and migrate north as far as Maryland in the Summer.

Cobia feed primarily on crabs, squid and other fish. They will follow larger animals such as sharks, turtles and manta rays in hope of scavenging a meal. Cobia are intensely curious fish and show no fear of boats and are known to follow other caught fish up to a boat and linger to see the action. Their predators are not well documented, but Mahi are known to feed on immature cobia.  Mako are also known to feed on adult Cobia and have been spotted by fishermen following Cobia during their springtime migration.

** Due to commercial fishing regulations, any Cobia sold at the Market must come from 3 miles or more offshore.