Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effect of slaughtering methods on the muscle quality of eels. Methods: Two slaughtering methods （including mechanical slaughter and manual slaughter） were used to analyze the energy metabolism and physicochemical properties of eel meat slices during storage. Results: Duringstorage at 4 ℃ for 48 h, the glycogent and lactic acid content of eelfillets subjected to mechanical slaughter were lower than those of manual slaughtered samples generally. During 7 d-storage, the sensory deterioration of eel meat samples was retarded by mechanical slaughter, and the TVB-N and TBARS content were lower than those of manual slaughtered samples, while the water holding capacity was higher than that of manual slaughtered samples. Conclusion: Mechanical slaughter is beneficial to maintaining the muscle quality of eels compared to manual slaughter.