The effects of initial length and body curvature on shrinkage of juvenile Atlantic salmon during freezing

Fork length was measured in two groups of salmon parr (32–139 mm, frozen in a straight posture and frozen in a curved posture) before (L1) and after (L2) freezing and thawing. All the fish shrank. The decrease in length was significantly greater in the curved fish than the straight fish. The absolute reduction in length (L1–L2) was related directly to L1, whereas the percentage reduction in length [(L1–L2)/L1× 100] was related inversely to L1.