Relationship between fillet bruising patterns and vascular anatomy in commercially harvested Yellowtail Flounder (Limanda ferruginea)

The commercial flounder fishing industry has been an extremely integral part of Newfoundland’s economy since the 1960’s. One way that efficiency in this industry is lost is unnecessary fillet damage inflicted through harvesting and processing techniques. Fillet bruising is caused when physical and/or physiological trauma causes blood vessels to rupture and blood residue to pool in certain locations. This bruising detracts from retail value, and thus must be trimmed away prior to packaging and distribution. The trimming process leads to a decrease in fillet size, and consequently a loss in total yield and profit. In an effort to minimize this loss, the circulatory system of the flounder was modeled using latex, and an analysis of current fillet bruising patterns was done using multispectral imaging. The model was then compared to the results of the image analysis to determine where the bruising is occurring most often, and as a result of which blood vessels. The results of this study may have implications for current harvesting and processing techniques, in the commercial flounder industry.