Fillet Yield, Biochemical Composition, and Consumer Acceptance of Farmed and Wild Mulloway

Abstract

The New South Wales prawn aquaculture industry is considering alternative species, such as mulloway (Argyrosomus japonicus), to diversify their production base, but little exists on their market potential. Farmed mulloway had higher levels of fat, energy, and cholesterol than wild mulloway and were an excellent source of long-chain omega-3s with good fillet yields: 46.3% (skin-on) and 38.8% (skin-off). Wild mulloway had higher sodium and moisture content but were a poor source of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). For consumer acceptance, there was a preference for the flavor of wild to farmed mulloway. The high cost of production remains a major constraint to industry growth.

Keywords:

• omega-3 fatty acids
• docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)
• eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)
• fillet recovery
• proximate analysis
• barramundi
• aquaculture