Nutritional research and feed development in cobia: status and prospects

Abstract

Like many other fish, feeding cobia with compound feeds can greatly increase its body lipid content that ensue an improvement in flesh texture and meat flavor. Significant differences in body composition, especially lipid distribution and abundance, are demonstrated between farmed and wild cobia. Although commercial pellets that have a feed formula modified from grouper or sea bass feeds have been successfully used in the cage farming of cobia, little has been published or made known concerning the nutrient requirements of this species. Despite of this, the few published reports indicate that cobia, even at juvenile stage, can thrive on a wide range of protein and lipid levels, as well as protein to energy ratios. The fish also shows a high capacity to utilize phosphorus in various feed ingredients and proteins from non-fishmeal sources such as soybean, poultry meal, corn gluten meal and yeast. Dietary manipulation can relatively amend body composition of cobia easily, especially distribution and quantity of body lipid. With this high plasticity in utilization of major feed ingredients and uptake of key nutrients, cobia shows the potential to fit into different niche markets, including those for high-end sashimi (high lipid content is desirable), white-meat fillet, or 1-kg whole fish. Different feed formula and feeding strategy are needed to support further refinement of production of feeds for the cobia farming opted for the diverse markets.