## 4 Conclusions  
In this study, HS-SPME-GC-MS was used to analyze the differences in characteristic volatile compounds of large yellow croaker fillets stored under three different conditions: a cold storage group, a slurry ice group, and a crushed ice group. Several common volatile compounds were found in large yellow croaker, including toluene, 1,3-dimethylbenzene, nonanal, dodecane, carophyllene, 2,5-cyclohexadiene-1,4-dione, 2-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-5-(2-methyl-2-propen-1-yl), butylated hydroxytoluene, hexadecane, and sulfurous acid, 2-ethylhexyl tritecyl ester. By combining the results from the loading plot and VIP score analysis, 10 characteristic volatile compounds were identified as biomarkers. Moreover, the pathways and transformations of each volatile were thoroughly investigated, employing multivariate analysis across the three storage methods at 0, 6, and 12 days. The study identified three primary pathways involved in volatile compound formation--thermal reactions, lipid oxidation, and amino acid degradation. Overall, among the three proposed pathways--lipid oxidation, amino acid degradation, and thermal reactions--lipid oxidation was identified as the dominant contributor to the formation of key volatiles in large yellow croaker during cold storage, particularly aldehydes and alcohols such as nonanal and benzaldehyde. In contrast, amino acid degradation played a minor role, as indicated by the low abundance of nitrogen- and sulfur-containing compounds and the absence of typical off-odor metabolites. Thermal reactions contributed minimally under refrigeration conditions, with only a few products such as 3,\(\mathcal{A}\)-dimethylpyrimidine. These findings underscore lipid oxidation as the primary pathway shaping the odor profile under the tested storage conditions. In conclusion, the SI treatment was found to be the most effectivemethod for maintaining the quality of large yellow croaker fillets during storage. Its ability to mitigate lipid oxidation and stabilize key volatiles makes it a promising strategy for extending shelf life and preserving sensory attributes in commercial aquatic product storage. These findings provide new insights into developing storage strategies for aquatic products in commercial applications.  
The following supporting information can be downloaded at: [[https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/foods14122063/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/foods14122063/s1)]([https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/foods14122063/s1](https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/foods14122063/s1)), Figure S1: Counts vs. Collection time (min).  
Conceptualization, W.C., W.G. and L.C.; Methodology, W.C., F.T. and W.G.; Software, T.L.; Validation, W.C., F.T., W.G. and T.L.; Formal analysis, W.C., F.T. and T.L.; Investigation, T.L.; Resources, Y.L. and L.C.; Data curation, W.C., F.T. and L.C.; Writing--original draft, W.C., F.T. and W.G.; Writing--review & editing, A.C. and L.C.; Visualization, F.T.; Funding acquisition, L.C. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This study was supported by Ningbo Key R&D Program (2024Z277; 2024Z282), Wenzhou Key Science and Technology Project (ZN2021002), and Ningbo Public Welfare Key Project (2022S148).  
Not applicable.  
The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material, further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding authors.  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.