Fish have to be placed on ice asap after caught. I remember if not, an enzyme/whatever starts converting stuff into stinks like the famous amines. Anyone know the details/correct explanation?

 

Thanks!

Compiling the assorted bits I found: Trimethylamine oxide (odorless) is decomposed to trimethylamine by bacterial action followed by decomposition to dimethylamine and formaldahyde through enzymatic action.

 

Got most of it from here:

 

http://www.fao.org/wairdocs/tan/x5990e/X5990e01.htm

Edited May 2, 201015 yr by StringJunky

good source, string. Thanks. The article noted that much still is unknown, but they go on with the nose WILL know. Reminds me once as a kid, I caught 5 or so eels, put them in the garage intending to clean them within an hour, forgot them in there the whole weekend. Whoooooooooah!!

You think that's bad... I had the bright idea of liberally sprinkling dried blood AND fishmeal in the soil of one of my houseplants. I didn't figure it out the source straight away because it was a trailing plant in a hanging basket above my head....memorable...conjure up visions of the air filled with the stench of dead fish, maggots and corpses!

If I might add.. as far as I'm aware lemons neutralise this hence why you often see salmon displayed on ice with lemons as it cancels the pong!