Uncommon Cobia Fish, a surprise delicacy for guests at Paradise

A type of fish not commonly caught in the Maldives, it is sometimes referred to as a Butter Fish or Cobia Fish. Maldivians usually call it 'Muranga Mas'. Scientifically it is denoted as Rachycentron canadum. Some other common names for the fish include black kingfish and black salmon.

Very common in the coastal Singh regions of Pakistan, it is a type of fish that perfect for a lot of fish with a high number of proteins. 

Somewhat rare in the Maldives, some staffers of Paradise Island Resort who are fond fishing managed to catch one of these beauties. It was caught nearly 90 meters deeps since the fish is usually found in muddy waters. 

Staffers from Paradise at first thought it was a shark and were surprised at the four feet length of the fish. It weighed around 16 kgs. Ishag Solih who works at Paradise as a Chef said that this could be the biggest Cobia Fish ever to be caught in the Maldives. He also noted that this was not a type of fish Maldivians usually eat.

"The true value of this fish is not known. So even if it is caught in the Maldives, it is not marketed correctly. We all know that Yellowfin Tuna is sold for a lot of money abroad. These kinds of Cobia Fish are used in places like Japan for fishes such as sushimi. So even if it is caught in the Maldives, the true benefits of the fish are not reaped." said Ishag.

The fish was a major hit with guests when Ishag prepared two fishes from it. He created a Baked Steak dish and a Sashimi Platter from the delicate fish. 

"The guests loved it. Out of around 80 guests that took part in the meals today, maybe 75 had the steak dish. They said that it was very tasty. They likened it to a fish used in Japan for sashimi." said Ishag.