The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of body weight on processing yields of a teleost fish piracanjuba (Brycon orbignyanus, Valenciennes, 1849). Firstly, fingerlings were reared in ponds in the Fish Culture of the Animal Sciences Department, Federal University of Lavras, M.G. - Brazil, for 18 months. Then, 121 fishes were insensibilized, slaughtered, weighed and dissected, in order to determine the percentages of head (%CAB), fins (%NAD), visceras (%VIS), skin with scales (%PE), and fillet residues (%RF), and the carcass yield (RCAR) and fillet without skin yield (RFSP), in relation to body weight. For analyses of variances, data were distributed over four weight classes (CP1 = 515 to 629g; CP2 = 630 to 744g; CP3 = 745 to 859g; and CP4 = 860 to 975g) and the regression equations were estimated in function of mean weight of each class. There was no effect (P>0,05) of weight class on RCAR, %NAD and %PE. However, a linear effect of body weight on %CAB (P<0,01), %RF (P<0,01) and RFSP (P<0,09) and a quadratic effect on %VIS (P<0,05) were observed. The %CAB and %RF decreased while RFSP and %VIS increased, with the increase of body weight. Based on these results, it can be concluded that heavier piracanjubas provide larger RFSP, smaller %CAB and smaller %RF. The smaller %CAB on heavier fish did not increase RCAR, as expected probably because of the increase on %VIS.
Fish; Piracanjuba; Carcass yield; Fillet yield
