An Evaluation of Major Nutrients of Four Farmed Freshwater Eel Species (Anguilla japonica, A. rostrata, A. bicolor pacifica and A. marmorata)

The basic and main nutritive ingredients of two temperature (Anguilla japonica and A. rostrata) and two tropical (A. bicolor pacifica and A. marmorata) fresh water eel species that are farmed domestically were evaluated. With exception of A. rostrata, eels cultured at the same farm were used for analysis. The contents of crude protein were in the order A. marmorata (17.7%)>A. rostrata (17.5%)>A. bicolor pacifica (17.4%)>A. japonica (15.8%) and the contents of crude lipids were A. japonica (21.5%)>A. rostrata (15.4%)>A. bicolor pacifica (10.5%)>A. marmorata (8.9%). These values differed significantly even among the three species of eel farmed under identical culture conditions. In comparison, all four species of eel showed similar pattern in overall amino acid composition, although slight differences in the compositions of some amino acids were observed. The fatty acid compositions of muscle tissues were notably different among four species of eel, especially between the tropical and temperature eels. In a taste-test of the meat of the four eel species, which considered taste, flavor and texture, the overall preference was in the order A. japonica, A. marmorata, A. bicolor pacifica and A. rostrata.