Cobia following sharks?

greyreefshark

Hey guys, I've been watching some videos of guys catching cobia, which are swimming alongside bull sharks.

Do the bull sharks not eat cobia? I'd figure if one was too close he'd get munched on.

Jack Hexter

I've caught a lot of cobia on all species of sharks as well as rays

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terrapin

Bull sharks love Cobia. I've had a few good sized ones eaten by them. I caught a Cobia that was a little small one time and threw him back, off the transom. He actually jumped back in the boat, as there was a big Bull shark waiting by my motor.

fishdish

I think both are opportunistic fish. The bull can eat the cobia no problem but how much effort does it need to exert. And the cobia follows the shark kind of like a remora waiting for table scraps from the shark. If the shark sees a distressed cobia then it's lights out for the cobia.

Doc Stressor

Sharks mostly prey on slow moving fish like rays or sick/injured individuals from faster species. They are all over hooked fish since they are exhibiting stressed behavior. Sharks can exhibit short bursts of quickness, but few can run down healthy game fish.

There is always a complex interaction between predators and prey that ensures that most of the healthy individuals in a prey species survive. If you look at the way cobia follow large sharks, you'll notice that they hang out either along side of the shark or will trail it from just behind. In those locations they are pretty much invulnerable to attack by the shark, yet are able to prey on fish that the shark might miss. They also may be saving energy by drafting with the shark where the shark reduces water resistance.

You can be sure that if a large shark encounters a sick or injured cobia that isn't showing the proper behavior, it's curtains for the cobia.