The cobia is the only representative of the Rachycentridae family and, because of its zootechnical qualities, production of this fish has been implemented in several countries, such as the United States, Mexico and Brazil. Tuxophorus caligodes is a widespread parasite of marine fish worldwide. For the present report, 15 juvenile cobias were collected from net cages on a fish farm in Ilhabela, state of São Paulo, Brazil, in the winter of 2011. The fish were sacrificed by means of cerebral concussion, and then weighed (280 ± 70.5 g) and measured (27 ± 1.97 cm). After external examination under a stereomicroscope, ectoparasites present on the body surface were collected, fixed and processed for identification. Out of the 15 fish examined, two were parasitized with Tuxophorus caligodes, thus indicating a prevalence of 13.3%. This is the first report of Tuxophorus caligodes in cobias in Brazil.
Ectoparasite; copepod; Rachycentron canadum; Brazil