Effect of stunting on carcass quality characteristics of milkfish, Chanos chanos (Forsskal, 1775), reared under pond conditions.

Abstract

The morphometric and carcass quality changes associated with the compensatory growth of stunted fish in optimum culture condition differentiate the quality of poststunted fish from normal fish. This study compared carcass quality characteristics data on poststunted and normal milkfish of marketable size reared under pond culture conditions. The cultured fish samples of poststunted and normal milkfish (of average weight 420–500 g) were collected from the brackish water fish farm at ICAR‐Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Fish stunted for 8 months were further reared for a period 8 months (poststunting), whereas normal fish were reared at the optimal condition for 16 months followed by an assessment of carcass quality characteristics such as morphometric, offal, carcass filleting traits and carcass proximate composition. The results showed higher dressed carcass traits such as dressed (85.42%), headless dressed (66.92%) and skinless dressed percentage (65.69%) in poststunted fish than the normal fish. However, the study did not find any significant difference in offal and dressed carcass trait yields. The fillet cutability traits found a higher percentage of meat (64.40%) and lower bone content (14.19%) in poststunted fish. This study recorded higher meat percentage in mid cut followed by fore and hind cuts in both groups of fish. The proximate composition of fillet cuts showed significant differences in moisture, dry matter, protein and fat content between normal and poststunted fish. Further, the study proved that nutrient accretion and deposition vary considerably among body components of fish during the compensatory growth phase. Overall, the results of this study suggested that poststunted fish are more nutritious and yield better fillets concerned with processing efficiency and nutritional quality for consumers than normally reared milkfish.