Compositional and organoleptic quality of farmed and wild gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) and sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) and factors affecting it: A review

The term fish quality is a complex set of characteristics influenced by numerous endogenous and exogenous factors. The present review evaluates the quality of gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) and European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) two of the most important farmed Mediterranean fish species. Based on pertinent literature, comparisons of wild and cultured fish have been carried out for proximate composition, fat and amino acid deposition, fatty acid contents, external appearance and organoleptic characteristics. Wild gilthead bream was found to have significantly lower muscle fat and higher muscle moisture contents compared to the cultured counterparts. Regarding their nutritional quality, farmed gilthead sea bream was found to have lower Atherogenic (0.323 vs. 0.577 in wild fish) and Thrombogenic indices (0.212 vs. 0.357 respectively). In sea bass, the only significant compositional difference found was the higher ash content of farmed fish. Differences in muscle structure and trace mineral contents have been observed for both species. External appearance differentiation is pronounced only in gilthead sea bream, while organoleptic differences regarding taste, flavour and texture were observed in the same species. The possibility of quality manipulation of the two studied species through dietary (fat level, feeding ratio, fasting, type of feed etc.) and other quality affecting factors is discussed based on literature data.