A defect in the texture of fish muscle. The muscle has a translucent appearance, and the texture to the feel is soft and gelatinous. The cooked muscle has a soft texture. The jelly condition is associated with flesh of low protein content, <12%, and high water content. The condition is more common in some species than others, fish from deep waters are especially prone to the condition, and nutritional status can affect the incidence; starving fish have a high incidence, well fed fish a low incidence.