Influence of aquaculture environments on the muscle quality of Golden Pompano (Trachinotus ovatus) in the Beibu Gulf: A multifaceted analysis of nutritional, textural, and flavor profiles

Golden Pompano ( Trachinotus ovatus ) is a primary source of high-quality protein, yet its muscle quality is significantly influenced by varying aquaculture environments, impacting both nutritional value and marketability. This study aimed to assess the muscle quality of T. ovatus across estuary, nearshore, and offshore aquaculture environments in the Beibu Gulf. We employed standardized protocols to evaluate key quality parameters including basic nutritional components, amino acids, fatty acids, volatile substances, flavor nucleotides, and thermal stability through heat analysis. Data analysis was conducted using statistical comparisons across different environments to identify significant differences. Our results indicated that offshore aquaculture environments yielded T. ovatus with superior nutritional profiles, exhibiting higher moisture, ash, crude protein, and crude fat contents. Additionally, offshore-cultivated fish demonstrated better textural qualities and higher levels of essential amino acids, unsaturated fatty acids, and umami-flavor nucleotides. These findings highlight that offshore aquaculture environments optimize the muscle quality of T. ovatus , suggesting implications for environmental management and enhancing fish meat quality in aquaculture practices. • Offshore cultivation significantly boosts T. ovatus protein and fat content. • Enhanced muscle texture in Offshore cultivated T. ovatus. • Higher essential fatty acids found in Offshore T. ovatus. • Increased EPA and DHA in Offshore T. ovatus muscle. • Offshore aquaculture improves T. ovatus nutritional and flavor profiles.