Change in flesh quality associated with early maturation of Atlantic halibut ( Hippoglossus hippoglossus).

To determine the effect of maturation on flesh quality, 20 Atlantic halibut ( Hippoglossus hippoglossus) consisting of mature and immature fish of both sexes were killed on site, exsanguinated and stored on ice. After 6 days of storage, the fish was gutted and filleted before colour, texture hardness and shear force were evaluated to determine the effect of maturation. Results show that mature males excreted black mucus from the skin during ice storage, while a greyish mucus was observed from immature fish. Mature fish had approximately 2% lower slaughter yield and 6% lower fillet yield compared with immature fish. The fillets from mature males were significantly harder compared with fillets from immature fish and the muscle structure proved to be stronger as an increased fracturability was observed in mature fish. In colour, fillets from mature fish proved to have a whiter appearance ( L*) than immature fish, while no difference was seen in a* and b* values. We conclude that the physiological changes associated with maturation affects the end quality, and may be related to slower growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]