Cobia Rachycentron canadum
(Dr. Patrick Rice holding an adult Cobia)

Hello Dietoa

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.

In the Americas, the Caribbean and allmost all of Brazil has 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. The potential of cobia aquaculture in the eastern Atlantic, i.e. off the West coast of Africa is unknown, same holds true for for the East coast of Africa. Islands off the east of Africa, such as Reunion and Mauritius already have cobia farms off their coast. Our economic analysis and experience in the Americas, 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.

Oocytes at 400-600micron

 

 Day 19 post-lexion larva/transitional

Caligus sp. found on wild collected Cobia broodstock

Ammylodinium sp. on gills of cobia broodstock
  

 Transfer of day 2-3 first feeding larvae from incubator to main rearing tanks

 Transfer of day ~12 day larvae cobia to re-adjust larval densities in case of unequal stocking distributions during a productiion run at a 4-module (total 48m³) juvenile marine finfish production facility capable of producing over 80,000 1gm fingerlings per 30day run.

Experimental juvenile growout trials ranging in prodiuction from 5gm-100gm fingerlings using different commercial feeds wth different contents of fishmeal, proteiin, Lipid, and overall energy.

Broodstock cobia 5-15kg collected from the wild held 80m³, 7.6m diameter by 1.8m deep fiberglass tank with recirculating system complete with chiller/heater, 2hp water pump, mechanical filtration down to 10micron, UV-Filter, Biofilter and Protein Skimmer.

Cobia fish: A breakthrough

Oct 22, 2012

For the first time in India, Cobia fish has been successfully cultivated in captivity, under the aegis of A.R. Thirunavukarasu. M. Karunakaran records the splash at Chennai-based CIBA's experimental station at Muttakadu.

Now, a technology to breed Cobia fish in farms, ponds
B. KOLAPPAN  

COMMERCIALLY VALUABLECobia broodstock at the experimental station of the CIBA at Muttukadu near Chennai.Photo: M. Karunakaran

If you regularly watch channels such as National Geographic and Animal Planet, you may have seen a black fish (not sucker fish) with a prominent white bar on its body swimming alongside sharks and scavenging on remnants of fish hunted by the big predator.

A decade ago, Cobia ( Rachycentron canadum ) known as Black King Fish, Lemon Fish and Crab Eater, was not taken very seriously.

Today, it is one of the important fishes consumed and Chennai-based Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) has achieved success in the controlled breeding of Cobia from pond-reared broodstock at its experimental station at Muttukadu near here.

Fish farming

“Cobia farming is done in cages erected in calm sea waters in countries like Vietnam. But in a country like India, where the sea is always turbulent, setting up cages is a difficult task. It is here our technology has paved a new path,” said A.R.Thirunavukarasu, Principal Investigator of the project and Head, Fish Culture Division of the CIBA.

“Ten years ago the fish was nowhere in the picture. Now it has a bright future as a commercially valuable fish,” Mr Sakthivel, former chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority, said. Mr. Thirunavukarasu said fish had characteristics such as fast growth (up to 10 kg in a year) and excellent texture and flavour.

It also fetches a good price in the domestic market and has potential for export.

Cobia has been identified as a fish for diversified farming in cages and ponds in marine and brackishwater ecosystems.

Dr A.G. Ponniah, Director of the CIBA, said the fish grew very fast and the growth was quite visible. “Since it is not easy for hatchery owners to set up cages in the sea, CIBA’s technology will enable them to rear the fish in farms,” he said.

Farmers can harvest a tonne a year from 100 juveniles while in the case of Seabass, it will require 1,000 juveniles to achieve the same result. The fish is called sea-chicken and in the market it costs around Rs. 300 per kg.

Mr. Thirunavukarasu said a Cobia would release millions of eggs during each spawning and these were fertilised externally by the male.

“At the experimental station, we keep the female and male at the ratio of 1:2 and subject them to induced spawning.

For accelerating ovulation, female fish are given hormone injection.

When the female releases eggs, the males fertilise them by releasing a milk-like substance,” he explained, even as workers at the experiment station caught the giant broodstock parents for displaying them to visitors. The juveniles can be reared in a nursery.

The fish is called sea-chicken and in the market it costs around Rs. 300 per kg.

The Kılıç Group wants to go global

18 Oct 2012

Kılıç has 34 fish growing units

The Kılıç Group is planning to expand in Turkey – along with conquering the US

THE Kılıç Group based in Milas, Mugla, is Turkey’s biggest producer of seabass and seabream and it also has a large trout processing facility, producing in total 30,000 tonnes of fish per year. It had a gross profit of TRK118,912 in 2011.

It is recognised as one of Turkey’s most valued brands, but as you would expect from a forward thinking company, it has its eye on the bigger picture, taking the Turkish aquaculture industry across the globe. As of 2011, 64% of harvested fish volume was sold to export markets through Kılıç’s subsidiaries KLC Gıda and Spador SRL (founded in Italy in 2003).

Founded in 1993, Kılıç has become the leading Turkish aquaculture company in terms of juvenile production with an annual production capacity of 320.5 million juvenile fish (as of 2011, seafish and trout included).

Kılıç’s facilities are composed of 34 fish growing units (including three trout farm sites in Kahramamaras, Kayseri and Gazantiep), five juvenile fish hatcheries, two adaptation units, two fish feed production sites with a capacity of 80,000 tonnes per year (in Mugla and Aydin), two processing facilities (seabass and seabream in Milas, trout in Kahramamaras) and various packaging facilities.

International standardsThe processing plants process raw material into fresh whole round, or gutted fish, fresh fillets and smoked trout fillets. Both plants are certified to various international standards

including ISO, British Retail Consortium (BRC), International Food Standard (IFS) and GLOBALG.A.P. It houses its own laboratories and offices at the plants – so it maintains its own strict quality controls.

Kılıç’s trout farming and processing facility are of significant impact to the local economy – but it’s in seabass and seabream production where the company really stands out because it produces 24,000 tonnes annually (27,000 is expected for 2012). It’s not only Turkey’s largest producer for these species, but also one of the largest in the world.

It has Turkey’s largest production in seabass and seabream juveniles (270 million annually) spread out over four hatcheries, a feed mill, processing and packaging facilities and sales and marketing for domestic and international distribution. Together the four hatcheries supply around 60% of Turkey’s demand for seabass and seabream fry.

At the Kılıç Guvercinlik hatchery near Mugla, R&D activities are carried out and this is where it also carries out research on new species to see if there is potential for the commercial market.

But its main business is in producing 20 million seabass and seabream fry for Kılıç’s own production (40%), but also for other farms around Turkey (30%) and internationally in Greece, Tunisia, Dubai and Egypt. In fact, 30% is now exported thanks to the economic crisis increasing demand abroad.

Greece always had the monopoly in juvenile production, but since its economic troubles, Turkey has taken advantage of the gap in the market. Mr Alp Oyman, business development

manager and strategic planning manager, believes that when it comes to juvenile production, Turkey may well have overtaken Greece. The performance of the Turkish Lira (TRK) in 2011 compared to the Euro provided a price advantage for Kılıç over its Greek competitors.

As a company, Kılıç is no stranger to pioneering new ideas – Mr Oyman told World Fishing & Aquaculture that Kılıç is the only fish producer in Turkey using a SAP system which took a year and a half to set up – the system will enable the traceability of fish to be tracked from the hatchery right through to the retailer.

He attributes much of Kılıç’s success to managing its own processes, keeping its facilities in close proximity and taking risks with the market – not to mention making huge investments.

One such move is demonstrated in a new growing facility Kılıç is opening in Tunisia – it has just started shipping 13 million juveniles from Turkey to the facility.

There are also plans for a new facility in Morocco which will produce 2,000 tonnes of seabass and 1,500 tonnes of seabream per year – a kind of second base to Turkey, and it will be used for shipping fish in quicker transit times to Europe.

Kılıç is also working on starting a new company in Panama which will be geared towards the American markets – it’s a strategic move by the company because of the free trade agreement that exists between Panama and the US. It will be used to farm 1,500 tonnes

of Mediterranean seabream, pompano and cobia varieties initially. “If we are going to survive we have to be in America. In Europe the market has stagnated and in Turkey there are few farming licenses still available. If we want new sales we have to go to the US and Russia”, Mr Murat Bakirci, chief executive officer, said to World Fishing & Aquaculture.

Of course, it helps if you’re a large company like Kılıç because you are best placed to test the global market. But the company hasn’t discounted the Turkish domestic market completely – in five years time it aims to open another facility in Turkey, it’s already looking for a new site.

Case Studies

Current use and future applications 
Copper alloy mesh technology began in 1975 with small salmon farming enclosures in North-eastern USA. Since then, alloy technology has evolved and now is being successfully used in Japan, Australia and Chile, providing productive and sustainable solutions for fish farmers. In addition to trials underway in Norway and Turkey, additional pilot projects to test improved copper alloy materials, mesh forms, and aquaculture system configurations and applications are underway with a variety of species in China, Korea, Panama, South Africa and the United States.

Commercial realities today

Australia	At Van Diemen Aquaculture, Copper-Zinc mesh cages have been used since 2005 to raise Atlantic salmon. Based on demonstrated success in improving fish health, the first installation of 6 rigid cages has been increased to 28 cages, with further expansion in progress. Growers have reported a 15% reduction in feeding costs over the past 3 years. Fish mortality decreased from 20% to 10% and losses from attack by predators were reduced from 5% to less than 0.1%. Net cleansing is now only performed once or twice a year.
Japan	Ashimori Industry Company has installed over 300 Copper-Zinc alloy cages. Typical sizes are 20 x 20 x10 metre depth, and 20 metre diameter for seriola (yellowtail). Some cages have been in continuous service for more than 8 years. Farmers report 50% increase in biomass density, 10% improved growth rate and Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR), and no antibiotic use.
Chile	EcoSea Farming is leasing copper alloy cages to salmon and trout farmers in Chile. As of mid-2010 the company has installed more than 40 cages measuring 30 x 30 x 12 metres depth by retrofitting them to existing platforms. Farmers report decreased mortality, increased oxygenation, and no losses from predator attack. In addition, EcoSea is testing submersible cage technology for installation at exposed sites. EcoSea recently presented a joint solution with Aqualine (a cage provider based in Norway) to deliver 50 metre diameter cages fitted with EcoSea mesh.
China	The East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, part of the Chinese National Academy of Fisheries Sciences, is leading a 3-year programme to develop and deploy innovative copper alloy aquaculture cages. The activity involves copper alloy mesh suppliers, cage manufacturers, fish farmers, fisheries scientists and government regulators. The target species include black sea bass, fugu, large yellow croaker, and cobia.

Research trials

Turkey	A cooperative project involving the University of New Hampshire and Çanakkale University is developing copper alloy aquaculture cages for sea bass and sea bream farming in the Mediterranean region.
Panama	Ocean Farm Technologies, in cooperation with the International Copper Association, has installed 3 small Aquapods at Open Blue Sea Farms to evaluate the performance of 3 types of copper alloy mesh in open ocean aquaculture (11 km offshore).
United-States	The University of New Hampshire (UNH) has conducted small-scale trials with juvenile and adult cod contained in copper alloy mesh. In 2009, in association with the Soybean Association, UNH conducted a trial with a 100m3 submerged cage in the Gulf of Maine in the North Atlantic. The test demonstrated copper-zinc’s successful containment of cod and no attachment of macrofouling organisms to the mesh. Based on the success of these trials, activities are underway for a full-scale installation at a cod farm in Maine.

Aquaculture

Copper Alloys in Marine Aquaculture

Increasing Productivity
Sustaining the Future

Why Choose Copper Alloy Cages

Copper is an essential micro-nutrient, helping achieve good health and development in all forms of life. Due to its natural metallurgical and biological properties, copper alloys are a perfect material for both surface and submersible marine aquaculture enclosures for near- and off-shore sites.
Copper alloy mesh aquaculture cages improve the sanitary conditions, productivity and sustainability of operations for farmers raising salmon, trout, sea bream, sea bass, cod, cobia, yellow tail and other species.

• Improves fish health and production

Copper alloy mesh naturally inhibits biofouling, improving water flow and circulation, helping maintain higher oxygen levels that inhibit parasites and pathogens from growing and infecting fish. This reduces the need for added antibiotics and anti-fouling chemicals.  Feeding costs can be reduced by 15%.

• Maintains cage volumes

Clean copper alloy mesh allows cages to maintain their shape against strong ocean waves and currents, even those offshore. Larger cage volumes prevent fish crowding and help maintain high oxygenation that ultimately improve yields. The mesh also possesses high mechanical strength and formability, which is essential in the creation of effective marine aquaculture containment structures.

• Excludes predators and prevents escapes
  

High-strength copper alloy mesh resists predator attacks and reduces escapes of farmed fish, preventing competition and interbreeding with wild fish stocks.

• Reduces maintenance

Copper alloy meshes do not need to be removed or cleaned to dispose of biofouling that can grow on traditional enclosures. This lowers overall costs associated with maintenance and diver risk.

• Long-lived and recyclable

Copper alloy mesh lasts for 5 years or more depending on application conditions. It loses little mass over time, and is fully recyclable. Recycled material is used in initial production of copper alloy mesh, which further reduces CO2 emissions, compared with traditional polymer nets.  High-strength and corrosion-resistant copper alloy meshes are compatible with cages commonly used in the marine aquaculture industry, allowing for rapid implementation at existing cultivation centres.

 Current Use and Future Applications

Copper alloy mesh technology began in 1975 with small salmon farming enclosures in Northeastern USA. Since then, alloy technology has evolved and now is being successfully used in Japan, Australia and Chile, providing productive and sustainable solutions for fish farmers.  Development of future applications and trials of improved copper alloy materials, mesh forms, and aquaculture system configurations are underway with a variety of species in China, Korea, Panama, Norway, South Africa, Turkey and the United States.

Land based broodstock of cobia (Rachycentron canadum) at CIBA. (Photo: ciba.res.in)

Aquaculture industry gets cozy with cobia

INDIA Friday, October 26, 2012, 00:40 (GMT + 9)

Cobia (Rachycentron canadum) has become one of the important food fish in India in the past decade, and Chennai-based Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture (CIBA) has been able to control the breeding of the species from pond-reared broodstock for the first time.

“Cobia farming is done in cages erected in calm sea waters in countries like Vietnam. But in a country like India, where the sea is always turbulent, setting up cages is a difficult task. It is here our technology has paved a new path,” explained AR Thirunavukarasu, Principal Investigator of the project and Head, Fish Culture Division of the CIBA.

This week, M Sakthivel, former chairman of the Marine Products Export Development Authority (MPEDA), handed over the juveniles of cobia -- known as black king fish, lemon fish and crab eater -- to two beneficiaries, The Hindu reports.

“Ten years ago the fish was nowhere in the picture. Now it has a bright future as a commercially valuable fish,” Sakthivel said.

Eating cobia in India was unheard of 10 years ago, but new developments are changing the popular sentiment about the species.

Thirunavukarasu noted that -- as the fish grows quickly (up to 10 kg in a year) and has better adaptability, excellent texture and flavour, plus an ability to fetch a good price domestically and a potential for export -- cobia has been identified as a fish for diversified farming in cages and ponds in marine and brackishwater ecosystems.

Hatching takes place after 20-22 hours and 30 days of rearing. Juveniles reach a length of 10 cm and can be raised in nursery and grow-out systems in cages and ponds.

Director of the CIBA Dr AG Ponniah also said the fish grew very rapidly.

“Since it is not easy for hatchery owners to set up cages in the sea, CIBA’s technology will enable them to rear the fish in farms,” he said.

Fish farmers can harvest 1 ton a year from 100 juveniles when using cobia, whereas when farming seabass, harvesting 1 ton of fish requires the use of 1,000 juveniles.

Thirunavukarasu said that each cobia releases millions of eggs during every spawning and the male fish fertilise them externally.

“At the experimental station, we keep the female and male at the ratio of 1:2 and subject them to induced spawning. For accelerating ovulation, female fish are given hormone injection,” he said. 

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com