The differences in physical and chemical characteristics and textural mechanical properties in muscles between 9 grass carps (body weight of 1295.7 ± 37.2 g) and 9 crisped grass carps (body weight of 706.8 ± 6.5 g) were investigated in the present study. The results indicated that the content of protein in crisped grass carp muscle was higher, while the contents of crude lipid and ferrum were lower than those in grass carp (P<0.05), and there were no significant differences in muscle moisture, crude ash, calcium and chromium contents in both groups. Crisped grass carp had higher pH value, muscle fiber density and collagen content in muscle than those of grass carp (P<0.05). Compared with grass carp, muscle drip loss of crisped grass carp at 2 h, 4 h, was significantly lower (P<0.05), but not at 8 h. The hardness and chewiness of crisped grass carp muscle were higher than those of grass carp in textural mechanical properties (P<0.05). Among meat quality indexes analyzed above, muscle fiber density, pH value and collagen contents played an important role to improve the meat quality within a certain range; the contents of lipid showed a negative correlation with muscle hardness (P<0.05), and muscle fiber density showed a negative correlation with muscle drip loss (P<0.05).