Freezing effects on yield, quality, and microbial load of farmed fish Neolissochilus hexagonolepis (Chocolate Mahseer)

Abstract

Locally known as “Katli” in Kalimpong and commonly known as Chocolate Mahseer, Neolissochilus hexagonolepis has been introduced into the aquaculture system in the region. A ray of hope for the species as several of the larger species have suffered severe declines, and are now considered threatened. The culture is not only important for the region but also can be marketed to the regions where the fish is considered as a delicacy. Fresh fish samples were randomly harvested from the farms in Kalimpong district, West Bengal India during the year 2016-2017, frozen at -40 OC±2 OC for 6 hrs, packed in a LDPE laminated film bag of 15X20 cm dimension and stored at -18±1 OC. Subsequently, samples were randomly drawn once in 30 days and its yield, quality and microbial load were studied for a period of 180 days. A significant change (p