The Use of Probiotics to Improve the Survival and Growth Rate of Cobia Larvae

Cobia are perciform marine fish that are caught as trophy fish and for their high quality flesh. Cobia are usually solitary fish which makes them difficult to catch. Cobia can be grown in a closed aquaculture system. Having them in a closed system allows us to produce many fish at once for commercial sale. The current survival rate of larval cobia in captivity is about 10%. To enhance growth and survival, probiotics (Lactobacillus rhamnosus) were added to the live feed of one trial and to the live feed and water of another. The larval cobia were sampled every three days to measure length, wet weight, and dry weight. The cobia with the probiotics added to the live feed had higher averages in measurements of length and weight. This suggests that the probiotics could be having a positive effect on the larval fish.