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What is the natural spawning season for cobia and mutton snapper?
In the wild, cobia spawn from around April to September; at ACFK we have achieved natural spawns of cobia throughout their natural spawning season and into October. Mutton snapper aggregate to spawn mainly around May-June-July, however, at ACFK our mutton snapper broodstock spawn naturally every month of the year. We hope to achieve with cobia what we have accomplished with mutton snapper and obtain natural spawns throughout the year in the near future.
What is the seasonal availability of fingerlings?
Larval production of cobia takes approximately 35-45 days from the day they spawn to the day fingerlings are ready for shipment. This means that cobia fingerlings are first available 5 to 6 weeks after the first spawn of the season until 5 to 6 weeks after the last spawn of the season. So far, our spawning window for cobia is from May to October but this date range will likely expand in the future. The production cycle of mutton snapper, by comparison, is longer and takes up to 60 days. The mutton snapper broodfish at ACFK spawn every month which means that year round production of fingerlings is feasible.
What other species are available?
At the moment ACFK produces cobia and mutton snapper fingerlings. However, if there is future demand for other local, warm, saltwater species, such as pompano and grouper, we will start to work with these fish also. We' ll be sure to keep our website updated with the latest developments.
What needs to be done in order to secure availability of fingerlings?
Orders are fulfilled on a first come first serve basis since limited numbers of fingerlings are available from each run. To place an order, complete the fingerling Purchase Agreement then forward it to ACFK with the appropriate deposit for your requirement. This process confirms your commitment and readiness to receive the fish. Note that larval production will not commence unless a deposit(s) has been received, since a substantial financial outlay is required in order to prepare for each production cycle. Also note that fingerlings from our summer production cycles are generally reserved by deposit well in advance. Please refer to our "Products and Conditions of Sale" document, which includes the Purchase Agreement, for more information. This document can be downloaded from our Fingerling Sales web page.
What is the price per fingerling?
Cobia fingerlings: USD$2.00 each for single orders of 5,000 or more; USD$2.75 each for smaller amounts. Mutton snapper fingerlings: USD$1.00 each for single orders of 5,000 or more; USD$2.00 each for smaller amounts. All prices are FOB Miami and are inclusive of packing materials. Transportation beyond Miami is the responsibility of the buyer.
How many fingerlings can ACFK produce?
Generally 60,000-100,000 cobia fingerlings are produced per run (5-6 week period). We will make a best faith effort to supply fingerlings when an order is accepted, however, orders are fulfilled on a first come first serve basis. Conservatively, this means that once deposits for the first 50,000 fingerlings of a production cycle have been received, subsequent orders may have to be supplied from the next run.
What needs to be done in order to import fingerlings?
With every shipment ACFK will work closely with the client to ensure that shipment and importation of fingerlings goes smoothly. However, it is the responsibility of the buyer to contact the pertinent authorities in the country of destination to determine the prerequisites for importation of fingerlings. Over the years we have dealt with exportation to a number of countries and, in some cases, the authorities from the destination country may require specific local documentation to be completed by authorities (e.g. veterinary authorities) at the country of origin, prior to travel. We will be happy to assist you with any specific documents your destination country may have but it is the buyer' s responsibility to determine what these requirements may be. To ensure a successful shipment of fingerlings, it is imperative that all requisite documentation is prepared well in advance. The documents listed below accompany all fingerling exports from ACFK. Use this as a reference to determine if your destination country requires additional paperwork:
- Copy of ACFK invoice for purchase of the fingerlings
- Copy of ACFK Aquaculture Certificate (#AQ0154005) issued by the State of Florida Department of Agricultural and Consumer Services
- Copy of the Import/Export License Federal Fish and Wildlife Permit issued by the Department of the Interior U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
- Original United States Origin Health Certificate (Veterinary Services form 17-140). This form must be completed by an accredited veterinarian and certifies that the fingerlings have been inspected and found free of observable disease and/or parasites. This certificate must also be endorsed by a U.S. Department of Agriculture veterinarian.
How much does it cost to ship the fish?
Transport beyond Miami is the responsibility of the buyer. Fish are normally shipped in Spacekraft® boxes (http://www.spacekraft.com/products/export.htm), which, once mounted on pallets, measure 110 cm wide x 110 cm deep x 117 cm high (43 inches x 43 inches x 46 inches), and fully loaded weigh approximately 350 kilograms (770 lbs) each. Each box will contain between 1,000 to 1,500 fingerlings. Airfreight varies enormously depending on the final destination and volume of shipment. Prices generally range from USD$1.50 to USD$3.00 per kilogram, dependant upon destination. This translates to an additional cost of USD$0.25 to USD$1.00 per fingerling, on top of the purchase price from ACFK. We will work closely with the buyer and the airline to organize and coordinate shipping. We have shipped fish to many different countries and have used several airlines. Some destinations may be serviced by only one airline, while for others there will be a choice of carrier, schedule and freight cost. We recommend our clients obtain quotes from all airlines servicing their area. The Miami based airlines listed below fly to numerous destinations in the Americas and Caribbean:
What needs to be done in order to receive the fish?
Make sure that the relevant local authorities have been contacted and that all required permits are in place for importation and ongrowing of the species in question. This is very important. If your paperwork is not in order, the fish may be kept in transit longer than intended, this type of delay is particularly dangerous for fish with high metabolic rates, such as cobia. It is also essential to ensure that transportation from the airport to your site is organized well in advance to avoid delays. And, of course, you must also have appropriate tanks/cages (with the correct mesh size) prepared to receive the fish. Also, plenty of good quality feed stockpiled for the first few months of culture. For more information on our feed recommendations see the feed FAQ.
What happens if the shipment does not arrive or the fish are dead on arrival?
Some mortality during shipment is normal due to the stress of handling and transportation. A few fish may get caught up in folds of the plastic transport bag or may have been injured during pack out. Depending on the timeframe of the shipment ACFK normally add 10% additional fish to the shipment to cover these potential losses. In any case, a total mortality of 5% or less should be expected. In the event of total or catastrophic loss (due, for example, to the airplane being diverted or otherwise not making the destination within a reasonable timeframe) ACFK will work closely with the client and will make a best faith effort to replace those fish when they are next available. However, ACFK is no longer responsible for the fish once they are loaded onto the plane; we cannot be held accountable for airline problems and cannot give refunds. Although expensive, buyers may wish to consider purchasing shipping insurance.
What kind of site is considered appropriate for cobia culture?
Ideally, water temperatures will remain above 24°C (75°F) year round and not exceed 29°C (84°F). Temperatures below 22°C (71°F) will normally result in slower growth rates and anything below 18°C (64°F) could result in mass mortality. Some work has been published relating to the performance of cobia under various salinity scenarios but there have been no commercial replicates of such experiments, therefore, full salinity of 33-36 ppt is considered ideal and is recommended. Dissolved oxygen levels should be at 100% saturation throughout the day. Other considerations for site feasibility are exposure to storm winds, depth and current. Depending on the specifics of your site, cage manufacturers will be able to make recommendations for a variety of cage models suited to perform under the conditions encountered in your area.
What sorts of cages are recommended and where can they be purchased?
Worldwide there are many different companies able to build suitable cages and netting for cobia culture. The specific cage to be used will depend on the site you choose to operate in, which can range from protected coastal areas, to exposed offshore environments. If a floating nursery cage is to be used for the initial stocking of the fingerlings it is extremely important that it is isolated from any other cages - see the diseases FAQ for more on this. Alternatively, fingerlings can initially be stocked into nursery tanks on shore. In the nursery system fingerlings will undergo the initial pre-ongrowing phase up to 50-100 g before being transferred into the final cage. The initial mesh size should not exceed 5 mm stretched. Subsequent mesh size increases will depend on the rate of growth obtained. Close monitoring of the fish will determine when it is time to move them into nets with a larger mesh size. Fouling of the net needs to be kept in check, if fouling becomes heavy the water flow will be critically affected and fish health may be compromised. ACFK is not involved in manufacture or retail of cages and buyers must arrange purchase of their own cage(s) and related ongrowing equipment by contacting a supplier directly. Some popular suppliers are listed below. To ensure selection of the most appropriate equipment for your site, be sure to discuss specifics of depth, current, weather exposure and predators in your area with the supplier, prior to placing an order.
What kind of feed is recommended and where can it be purchased?
The recommended diet for cobia ongrowing is an extruded, slow-sinking, pelleted feed composed of high quality ingredients. The recommended protein:lipid ratio, to obtain maximum growth, is around 50:10. As is the case with cages, there are several feed manufacturers throughout the world with the experience and capacity to produce extruded feeds for cobia culture. You can try to locate a local feed mill but may have to import feed. Normally, feed prices range in the vicinity USD$0.70-USD$1.00 per kilogram of feed delivered, depending on transport costs and amount ordered. For specific quotes and price ranges you may contact the following feed manufacturers:
What is the recommended stocking density of the nursery cages?
A typical nursery cage system will consist of floating square cages measuring 5 x 5 x 5 meters (125 m³ usable volume) covered with bird netting to avoid predation. The initial mesh size should be 4-5 mm stretched and the recommended stocking densities are 50 fish/ m³. Fish can be held in this cage until they reach 50 to 100 g, after which they should be transferred to the final growout cages.
What water quality parameters are most appropriate for cobia culture?
Ideally, water temperatures will remain above 24°C (75°F) year round and not exceed 29°C (84°F). Temperatures below 22°C (71°F) will normally result in slowed growth rates, and anything below 18°C (64°F) could result in mass mortality. Some work has been published relating to the performance of cobia under various salinity scenarios but no commercial replicates of such experiments have been conducted, therefore, full salinity is recommended and 33-36 ppt is considered ideal. Dissolved oxygen levels should be at 100% saturation throughout the day.
What Food Conversion Ratio can be expected of cobia/mutton snapper?
Cobia has not been farmed commercially for very long therefore information regarding its aquaculture performance is preliminary at best. Several initial growout trials in the Caribbean, with ideal water conditions and low stocking densities, have resulted in promisingly low FCRs. However, it pays to be conservative when developing a new project, since performance of the fish will vary depending on the specific culture conditions at your site. For calculation purposes we recommend using an average FCR of 1.5:1 but keep in mind that this will vary greatly throughout the growth cycle. Examples for mutton snapper are even fewer than cobia, in fact there' s no commercial operation, to our knowledge, dedicated to the growout of this fish. However, experimental trials have shown average FCRs of close to 1.7:1, we therefore recommend using 2:1 for calculation purposes.
What growth can be expected from cobia/mutton snapper?
The aquaculture performance of cobia and mutton snapper is based on very few examples, mainly from small cage operations. Growth of warm water fish is largely dependent on water temperature, stocking densities and feed quality, although many other factors also influence growth, such as overall water quality at the growout site and the feeding regime used. Mutton snapper can be expected to reach around 0.5 kg to 1.0 kg after 12 months of growout, while cobia should reach average weights of around 6 kg in that same period. These growth rates are based on ideal water conditions and recommended stocking densities covered in other questions. Cobia can be expected to reach 1 kg after the first 3 months in the cage, 3 kg after 8 months and 5 kg after 11 months. Cage grading systems for cobia have not yet been developed which means a large variation in size will likely be experienced at harvest, even though the fish were all stocked from the same population.
Can cobia be raised in tanks/ponds?
We do not have any experience of raising cobia or mutton snapper to commercial size in tanks or ponds. However, we believe that a fish like cobia, which has an extremely high metabolic rate and high feed and oxygen demands, is likely not a good candidate for shallow water pond culture. A pre-ongrowing phase, of up to two months prior to stocking in the final growout cages, however, could be done in tanks or ponds. In fact, we strongly recommend considering this option if it is possible.
What are the most common diseases that may affect cobia and what are the recommended treatment options?
Wild fish are susceptible to a variety of diseases and parasites, many of which are species specific, and stressed fish are much more vulnerable to parasites and disease than unstressed fish. The same factors also affect fish cultured in captivity and it is therefore of utmost importance to establish management protocols aimed at minimizing stress levels in order to promote good health and a fast immune response. Factors such as poor feed quality/composition, high stocking densities and reduced water flow/quality, due to heavily fouled nets, can all lead to increased stress levels. When fish are first stocked into the nursery system it is very important that they are isolated from older populations: mature fish may have naturally occurring parasites that have no significant impact on an adult but which may be devastating to a 1 gram fingerling, which previously has only been exposed to clean, filtered hatchery seawater. To compound this, newly arrived fish have just gone through the very stressful process of being handled and transported and are thus much more vulnerable to potential disease and/or parasite infestation. The most common problem that cobia are known to be susceptible to is external protozoan parasites. The best management practice is to have a strong preventive protocol in place but response guidelines, in case of infestation, should always be available. Usually, these parasites can be eliminated through repeated fresh water treatments or prolonged salinity drops, which might not be a feasible option for a cage operation. Chemical treatments, such as formalin baths, have also proven effective in treating protozoan infestations and cage liners could be used to implement such procedures, however, you should always consult local authorities first to obtain a list of approved treatments to be used on food fish.
What final stocking densities are recommended in order to obtain maximum growth rates?
Final stocking densities refer to the biomass of fish present in the cage at the time of harvest. However, this concept is not always straight forward since repeated, partial cage harvests are a common procedure; in large scale cage operations the aim is to harvest a steady supply of fish during the year to maintain cash flow throughout the cycle. Nevertheless, it is our recommendation that final stocking densities should not exceed 10-15 kg/m³. This is a low stocking density compared to other cage operations of temperate fish species but, unlike those industries, which have been in operation for several decades, cobia farming is in its infancy and a conservative approach is warranted. Cobia is a very unique fish with impressive growth rates which are best realized under low density, low stress conditions.
What survival rate can be expected throughout the growout period?
Established cage farms, such as those growing sea bream, sea bass and salmon, commonly anticipate survival rates of 90% throughout the growout phase. Cobia is expected to be very similar, although we may still be a few years from achieving these results. Of course, success can only be accomplished if effective management strategies are in place and are adhered to. Close observation of the fish throughout the day is a must, since in warm water problems tend to escalate much more rapidly than in temperate waters. It is easy to apply cage farm protocols from temperate to tropical regions but don' t forget that cobia culture is still a work in progress and we still have a great deal to learn. ACFK suggest using estimated survival rates of 80% throughout the growout phase up to market size. In future, when problems have been encountered and solved through practice, such as effective in-cage grading to reduce the incidence of cannibalism, we can hope to increase survival rates to match those of established temperate cage operations.
What is the expected meat/fillet yield of cobia?
Recent observations indicate that a loss of 15% is average after gutting and that a fillet yield (skin on) of 50-55% can be expected.
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