ABSTRACT
The enzyme makeup of aquatic organisms is directly related to growth and ulti mately to the tissue composition, nutritive value, shelflife, and edible character istics of seafood. Intraspecific factors (e.g., biological age, diet, water quality and habitat temperature, etc.) are known to influence the composition, post mortem durability, and edible characteristics of seafood (1,2). The primary im portance of enzymes rather than microorganisms to the loss of prime quality in seafood has been reviewed elsewhere (3). The seafood technologist is thus con cerned with the influence of adaptation and intraspecific factors on the compara tive biochemistry of fish tissues, notably muscle tissues.
