One hundred salted fishes (50 each of Mugil cephalus and Hydrocynus forskallii were subjected to physical, chemical and bacteriological examination. Physical examination: revealed that 10% of samples of M. Cephalus and 168 of H. for skallii were unfit for human consumption. The average sod.chloride and moisture contents were inversely proportional in muscles of both species examined. The average percentage of sod. chloride in the water phase was higher in the muscles of H. forskallii than in M. cephalus.
The average total colony count in muscles are higher at 25°C than at 35°C and so muscle counts than that of brine.
The average count of Stephylococcus aureus, Streptoccus faecalis and Streptococcus faecium were higher in H. forskallii than in M.cephalus in muscles than in brine. Coliform could be isolated from examined samples at varying percentages.