Cobia are easy to identify. On the back are about 8 strong low spines, separated from one another, that are not connected by membrane. This is a dark brown fish, with two silvery-white streaks down the side. The tail-fin is deeply forked in adults.
Cobia are one of very few fishes found around the world in tropic and warm temperate seas.
They're a migrating species, so their abundance varies with the seasons. In tropical waters they are most abundant during winter months, but many embark on a prolonged migratory journey in late winter, increasing their abundance in more temperate seas. For their size, they are one of the most abundant inner shelf species. Cobia may rarely exceed 100 pounds, but twenty to forty pounds is an average to large weight. Its behavior patterns and suspected relationship to other fishes are intriguing, and an entire chapter devoted to this magnificent animal would not be too much.