Abstract: Abstracts: The purpose of this paper was to study the effects of combined application of high hydrostatic pressure treatment and modified atmosphere packaging on the quality characteristics of Trichiurus lepturus during cold storage at 4℃. The vacuum-packaged samples pretreated by high hydrostatic pressure (290 MPa, 6 min) and stored at 4℃ were used as the control. The high hydrostatic pressure treatment (290 MPa, 6 min) and then packing with different proportions of modified atmosphere packages (MAP1: 60%CO2+40%N2; MAP2: 60%CO2+7%O2+33%N2; MAP3: 60%CO2+15%O2+25%N2; MAP4: 50%CO2+ 15%O2+35%N2) were used to pretreat fresh Trichiurus lepturus. When all pretreatments were finished, the experimental samples were stored at 4℃ during the rest period of processing. During the storage of 21 days, sensory evaluation, total bacteria count, total volatile basic nitrogen, thiobarbituric acid, actomyosin content and total sulfhydryls content of actomyosin were periodically determined to investigate the preservation effects of Trichiurus lepturus during cold storage at 4℃. According to the results of total bacteria count and total volatile base nitrogen, the shelf life of the control (Trichiurus lepturus pretreated by high hydrostatic pressure and vacuum packaging) was only 11 days; The experimental groups of high hydrostatic pressure treatment combined with different modified atmosphere packages had longer shelf life of Trichiurus lepturus during cold storage at 4℃: the shelf life of Trichiurus lepturus pretreated by high hydrostatic pressure and modified atmosphere packages (60%CO2+40%N2) was 16 days, that pretreated by high hydrostatic pressure and modified atmosphere packages (60%CO2+7%O2+33%N2) was 19 days, and the shelf lives of Trichiurus lepturus pretreated by high hydrostatic pressure and modified atmosphere packages (60%CO2+15%O2+25%N2 and 50%CO2+15%O2+35%N2) were both 21 days, which was almost 2 times longer than that of the controls. This observation suggested that high hydrostatic pressure treatment combined with modified atmosphere packages showed higher effectiveness on inhibiting total bacteria count and total volatile base nitrogen. However, modified atmosphere packages could accelerate the decrease of actomyosin content and total sulfhydryls content of Trichiurus lepturus pretreated by high hydrostatic pressure, and higher level of O2 in modified atmosphere packages also had obvious promotion effect for fat oxidation of Trichiurus lepturus pretreated by high hydrostatic pressure during cold storage at 4℃. In summary, high hydrostatic pressure treatment combined with low proportion O2 in modified atmosphere packages (60%CO2+7%O2+33%N2) could not only prolong the shelf life of Trichiurus lepturus, but also keep its natural properties at the same time. The results of this study would be helpful for the research on the preservation of Trichiurus lepturus during cold storage at 4℃.