World distribution map for the cobia
Common Names |
English language common names are cobia, black kingfish, black salmon, cabio, crabeater, cubby yew, kingfish, lemonfish, ling, prodigal son, runner, sergeant fish, and sergeantfish. Other names include aruan tasek (Malay), bacalao (Spanish), bacalhau (Portuguese), balisukan (Bikol), bonita (Susu), bonito (Spanish), cobie (Spanish), cuddul-verari (Sinhalese), dalag-dagat (Tagalog), foguesteiro-galego (Portuguese), gabus laut (Malay), gile (Tagalog), goada (Arabic), itang (Bikol), jaman (Malay), kadal-viral (Tamil), kobia (Afrikaans), kume (Visayan), kumi nu'aakhr (Arabic), langlanga (Maranao), mafou (French), mondoh (Javanese), mudhila (Sinhalese), ndjika (Portuguese), offiziersfisch (German), okakala (Finnish), pandauan (Bikol), pandawan (Cebuano), peixe-sargento (Portuguese), peje palo (Spanish), pejepalo (Spanish), rachica (Polish), sakalan itang (Bikol), seekel (Arabic), segel (Arabic), seheeha (Arabic), sikel (Arabic), sikin (Arabic), sungoro (Swahili), sugi (Japanese), takho (Somali), and tayad (Visayan).
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Geographical Distribution |
The cobia is distributed worldwide in tropical, subtropical and warm-temperate waters. In the western Atlantic Ocean this pelagic fish occurs from Nova Scotia (Canada), south to Argentina, including the Caribbean Sea. It is abundant in warm waters off the coast of the US from the Chesapeake Bay south and through out the Gulf of Mexico. During autumn and winter months, cobia migrate south and offshore to warmer waters. Cobia prefer water temperatures between 68??-86??F. Seeking shelter in harbors and around wrecks and reefs, the cobia is often found off south Florida and the Florida Keys. In early spring, migration occurs northward along the Atlantic coast. In the eastern Atlantic Ocean, cobia range from Morocco to South Africa and in the Indo-West Pacific from East Africa and Japan toAustralia. Cobia do not occur in the eastern Pacific Ocean.
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As a pelagic fish, cobia are found over the continental shelf as well as around offshore reefs. It prefers to reside near any structure that interrupts the open water such as pilings, buoys, platforms, anchored boats, and flotsam. The cobia is also found inshore inhabiting bays, inlets, and mangroves. Remoras are often seen swimming with cobia.
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