Dead eels, dead snappers, and dead river crabs are not edible; general fish are edible after death, and the best time to eat them is two to six hours after death.

Fresh live fish just after slaughter, will be in a stiff stage. At this time, the energy metabolism in the fish is still going on, and a series of biochemical changes will occur. If this time cooking, not only poor taste, nutrition can not be fully absorbed by the human body, acidic meat will affect digestion. In addition, there may be some toxins, parasites or bacteria in the body of the fish, and these harmful substances that are not dead may also enter the human body.

After a certain period of time after the death of the fish, the meat is transferred to the autolysis stage, at which time the elastic muscle starts to soften and the meat tastes best. After that, microorganisms begin to multiply, and it enters the stage of spoilage. At this stage, the fish is no longer fit for consumption. From the above stages, the best time to eat fish is in the autolysis stage, when the fish meat is tender and flavorful, the nutritional value reaches the highest degree, and is conducive to human digestion and absorption.

Dead fish should be wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the refrigerator or a cool place for a few days are edible.