Studies on prolongation of prerigor period of fish. III. Rigor-mortis progress and its temperature-dependency in several marine fishes.

Yellowtail, bartailed flathead and Japanese striped knifejaw were spiked at the brain, and stored at O°and 10℃.Yellowtail set in rigor-mortis after 2h, irrespective of storage temperature, attaining the full-rigor state after 7h at O℃ and 15h at 10℃.Rigor-mortis of bartailed flathead started after 10h at O℃ and 13h at 10℃.This species reached the full-rigor state after 20h at O℃ and 40h at 10℃.In the case of Japanese striped knifejaw, rigor-mortis began to appear immediately after killing at O℃ whereas after 4h at 10℃.The full-rigor state was attained with this fish after 13 and 20h, respectively, in the above order of storage temperature.