Abstract:Centropristis striata is an economically important marine fish worldwide. In this study, the nutritional content in the muscle of C. striata was compared and evaluated by routine biochemical analysis methods between males and females. The results showed that the female C. striata contained significantly lower moisture than the males (P<0.01). However, the crude fat content in the fresh muscle of females was significantly higher (P<0.01) than that in the muscle of males. There was no significant difference in the crude protein and crude ash content in fresh muscle between females and males (P>0.05). Sixteen common amino acids were detected in the muscles of both males and females. Except for methionine, lysine, and glycine content, there were no significant differences between the other 13 amino acids, total amino acids (TAA), essential amino acids (EAA), and delicious amino acids (DAA) (P>0.05). According to the amino acid score (AAS) and chemical score (CS), the first limiting amino acid for both male and female C. striata was methionine, and the second was valine. The essential amino acids index (EAAI) of the male C. striata was 85.28, a little higher than that of female C. striata (84.84). The composition proportions of the essential amino acids in the muscles of C. striata are all in accordance with the FAO/WHO Standard. The ratios of branched chain amino acids to aromatic amino acids (F values) in the flesh of male and female C. striata were 2.28 and 2.24, respectively. The monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) concentration in the male C. striata was higher than that in females, the difference was highly significant (P<0.01), but the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) and EPA+DHA (Eicosapentenoic acid+docosahexoenoic acid) content were not significantly different between the males and females. The ratio of ∑n-3 PUFA to ∑n-6 PUFA in the flesh of the male C. striata was 6.43, which was higher than that of the females (5.51). In addition, the ratio of K to Na in the muscles of the males (14.27) was higher than that of the females (8.27). In conclusion, it can be suggested that male C. striata has a higher edible value than females.
