Species-specific liver moisture content of coral reef fishes in the Malaysian South China Sea

Abstract

Moisture content is an important measure of seafood quality as the flesh including liver naturally has high water content. Furthermore, moisture content is an important measure of ecological and environmental monitoring studies on coral reef fishes. However, few studies have reported the moisture content in coral reef fishes. Liver moisture contents and biological factors such as condition factor, hepatosomatic index (HSI) and gonado somatic index were examined in twenty-one coral reef fish species collected in Malaysian South China Sea. Four species of parrotfishes genus Scarus spp. were found to have significantly lower liver moisture relative to other reef fish species. A significant negative correlation was found between moisture content and HSI.