Abstract: We investigated the effect of storage temperature (-3 ℃ and 4 ℃) on quality changes of bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) by observing total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA), K value, pH, drip loss, cooking loss and organoleptic properties. Results show that A. nobilis lost sensory and edible quality when stored at 4 ℃ at 10^th day and at-3 ℃ at 30^th day. However, the K value exceeded the critical limit at 4 ℃ at 6^th day and at-3 ℃ at 20^th day. The TVB-N at 4 ℃ was significantly higher than that at -3 ℃. The TBA did not exceed the limit of 2.00 mg·kg^-1 at both -3 ℃ and 4 ℃ throughout the storage, indicating that TBA is not a good indicator for assessing the quality changes of A. nobilis when used alone. The pH reached the minimum of 6.81 at 4 ℃ at 4^th day and of 6.76 at -3 ℃ at 10^th day. The drip loss and cooking loss at -3 ℃ were higher than those at 4 ℃, which may due to the reformation of ice crystals and decline of water-retaining capability. It is concluded that the shelf life of A. nobilis is 6 d at 4 ℃ and 20 d at -3 ℃. Besides, partial freezing at -3 ℃ can extend the shelf life significantly.