FLESH QUALITY IN SNAPPER, PAGRUS-AURATUS, AFFECTED BY CAPTURE STRESS

Muscle metabolites in resting, tank acclimated snapper, Pagrus auratus , were monitored for 72 hr postmortem and compared with values from ex ercised or commercially caught fish. The physiological status of the l ive animal was quantified by plasma cortisol and blood chemistry. Cort isol levels were lowest in unstressed controls (6.8 +/- 2.1 ng mL-1) w hile exercised laboratory fish had highest levels (67.7 +/- 11.2 ng mL -1). Control fish maintained a constant K-value for 72 hr in chilled s torage; all other groups had significant increases. Onset of rigor dev elopment and muscle ATP depletion was delayed in unstressed fish and w as more rapid in line-captured than exercised fish. Commercial users m inimizing stress would maintain high flesh quality.