Farmed meagre, Argyrosomus regius of three different sizes: what are the differences in flesh quality and muscle cellularity?

Summary Larger meagre are more common in the market but, recently, smaller fish have started to be commercialised as well. This study aims to evaluate flesh quality and muscle cellularity of meagre of three different sizes: 800, 1500 and 2500 g. Results showed a higher fat content in larger fish (2.9% compared to 1.3% in small fish), and that texture was not affected by fish size. In terms of muscle cellularity, a higher frequency of smaller fibres was observed in 800 and 1500 g (33% compared to 18% in 2500 g) meagre, whereas in 2500 g meagre, there was a higher frequency of larger fibres. Muscle fibre density was reduced with fish weight (431 and 297 fibres mm−2 for 800 and 2500 g meagre, respectively). In conclusion, this study shows that meagre of different weights are different in terms of fat content and muscle cellularity and that 800 g meagre seems to have a good potential for being commercialised.