Background and Objectives: The quality index method of tigertooth croacker (Otolithes ruber) stored on ice was carried out and its efficiency was compared with sensory, microbial and physicochemical evaluation methods.

 Methods: Physicochemical analyzes (volatile nitrogen bases, pH and thiobarbituric acid), microbial (mesophilic and cold-loving) and sensory evaluation were performed on days 0, 4, 8, 12 and 16 of storage. In order to analyze the quantitative values ​​obtained from the phyricochemical and microbial tests after controlling the normality of the data, the analysis of variance (ANOVA) test was used. To compare the means, Duncan's test was used at the probability level of 0.05. Also, Pearson's correlation was used to relate the correlation between physicochemical indices and bacteria with sensory scores.

Findings: The count of mesophilic and psychrophilic bacteria in tigertooth croacker showed a significant correlation with the time of storage in ice and increased during 16 days of storage. The amount of changes in the pH of the whole salted fish in ice increased during 16 days, but the gutted tigertooth croacker in ice increased until the 8th day and then decreased until the 12th day and increased again on the 16th day. The amount of volatile nitrogenous bases in tigertooth croacker stored on ice increased significantly after 16 days, although this amount was lower than the permissible limit until day 8. The amount of thiobarbutyric acid was below the permissible limit until the end of the storage period in ice.

Conclusion: According to the results of physicochemical, microbial and quality index analyses, the shelf life of tigertooth croacker on ice was estimated to be 8, during which tigertooth croacker has the necessary usefulness for consumption.