COMPARATIVE STUDY OIV THE MAJOR BIOCHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS IN THE MUSCLES OF MUGIL CEPHALUS INHABITING THE MEDITERRANEAN WATER, THE NORTHERN DELTA LAKES AND FISH FARMS OF EGYPT

COMPARATIVE STUDY OIV THE MAJOR BIOCHEMICAL

CONSTITUENTS IN THE MUSCLES OF MUGIL CEPHALUS

INHABITING THE MEDITERRANEAN WATER, THE NORTHERN

DELTA LAKES AND FISH FARMS OF EGYPT

L.M. SHAKWEER,* E.H. EI-EBIARY AND M.A. ZAKI
* National Institute ofOceanography andfisheries – Alexandria.
Key Words: Biochemistry”, Gre:y Mullet, Nile Delta Lakes
ABSTRACT
The major biochemical Cur1stitut::nts namely lipids, proteins, water
and ash contents were deter;nined in the muscle tissues ofone ofthe
most commercial fish species in MC!!l.Zalah, Borollus, and Edku lakes,
·Nozha Hydrodrome and Mariut fish farm in Egypt with the aim of
evaluating the nutritive value ofsuch fish species.
The present study revealed that these constituents differed
significantly from one area to another according to the biological and
non-biological conditions in these areas. The percentage contents of
the mentioned constituents rangedfrom 76.18 to 77. 93%for moisture,
from 56.80 to 76:40% for protein. from 10.92 to 23. 23%for lipids and
from 12.58 to 20. 61%for ash. These percentages were calculated on
the dry weight basis.
In the light of the present study it is possible to classify Mugil
cephalus surviving at the Egyptian waters as fatty fish according to
their muscle content oflipids which exceeds 5% in the dry condition at
all the fishing areas studied.
The lipid content of the muscles of the investigatedfish species
exhibited positive relationships with both the size of fish and its
conditions factor. The correlation coefficient (r) between % fat
content and conditionfactor wasfound to be + 0.8207.