DELAY IN RIGOR-MORTIS OF RED SEA-BREAM BY SPINAL-CORD DESTRUCTION

The elastic texture in pre-rigor fish muscle is valuable for the prepa ration of sliced raw fish. For the purpose of delaying the ATP degrada tion and the pH decrease in relation to the delay of rigor development in red sea-bream muscle during storage, spinal cord destruction was t ried immediately after stabbing the medulla oblongata. In spinal cord destroyed fish muscle, the ATP level, the pH value, and the breaking s trength were high at the initial stage of storage, and their decline w as slow during storage at 3 degrees C. The ultimate values of pH and b reaking strength were high. In the case of spinal cord destroyed fish, the rigor index increment ceased temporarily and the index reached 10 0% at 12-19 h behind the controls. The peak value of generated rigor t ension was small. The high breaking strength throughout storage was as cribed to less structure weakening of muscle because the generated ten sion was small due to the delay of rigor development. The high breakin g strength is also ascribed to less proteolytic breakdown of the peric ellular connective tissue of fish muscle due to the relatively high pH condition.