title: Investigating the biometric and physicochemical characteristics of freshly harvested Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei): a comparative approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The practicality of biometrics of seafood cannot be overemphasized, particularly for competent authorities of the shrimp industry. However, there is a paucity of relevant literature on the relationship between biometric and physicochemical indices of freshly harvested shrimp. This work therefore investigated the relationship between biometric (standard length (SL), total weight (TW) and condition factor (CF)) and physicochemical (moisture content, pH, titratable acidity, water activity, water retention index, colour values and fracturability) characteristics of freshly harvested Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) obtained from three different farms. The relationships between these parameters were determined using correlation and regression analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant correlation (P > 0.05) was found between the biometric and physicochemical indices of the sampled L. vannamei specimens. Possibly the lack of post-mortem and physical change(s) at day of harvest together with the absence of temporal variable may have collectively limited the degree of any significant correlation between biometric and physicochemical data points measured in this study. Although the TWs of freshly harvested L. vannamei shrimp resembled (P > 0.05), SL and CF differed significantly (P < 0.05) with minimal explained variance. Moreover, some biometric and physicochemical variables were independently correlated (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Data indicated that no significant correlation existed between biometric and physicochemical characteristics of freshly harvested L. vannamei shrimp. Across the farms studied, however, the biometric data were comparable. To best knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the biometric and physicochemical properties of freshly harvested shrimp using a comparative approach, which is also applicable to other economically important aquaculture species. Overall, this work provides useful information for competent authorities/stakeholders of the fishery industry and serves as a baseline for preservative treatments.
authors: School of Science, Monash University, 46150, Bandar Sunway, Selangor DE, Malaysia.|Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Masdar Institute, PO Box 54224, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.|Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via L. Vaccara 61, 91026, Mazara del Vallo, Italy.
authors: Charles Odilichukwu R
authors: CO
authors: Okpala
authors: Istituto per l'Ambiente Marino Costiero, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Via L. Vaccara 61, 91026, Mazara del Vallo, Italy.
authors: Gioacchino
authors: G
authors: Bono
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D001699:Biometry; D055598:Chemical Phenomena; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods; D063427:Food Quality; D033561:Penaeidae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development; D017747:Seafood
keywords: Litopenaeus vannamei; biometrics; freshly harvested shrimp; physicochemical properties