Black kingfishes

Abstract

Rachycentron canadus (Linnaeus) (=Elecate nigra) popularly called black kingfish is the only representative Of the family, Rachycentridae. It is also known as cobia, surgeon fish and lemonfish. It is reported to occur in all the warm seas except along the coasts off southern Australia in the Indo-Pacific area and the Pacific coast of North America and is rarely reported along the Japanese coast. These fishes are pelagic in nature and prefer largely the open seas, but are also recorded in shallow coral reefs and rocky shores.Occasionally they are reported to lurk near pilings,wrecks, buoys or other objects, stationary or floating.