In this study, ATP and its related compounds, free amino acids, polyamines and monoamines, glycogen and glycolytic intermediates and organic acid were analyzed in the dorsal, ventral and caudal muscles of snakehead Channa argus together with the liver and gonad immediately after death. Total levels of ATP and its related compounds in the muscle ranged from 7.5 μmol?g^-1 to 8.0μmol?g^-1. ATP concentrations were 3.9,4.1 and 4.7μmol?g^-1 in the dorsal, ventral and caudal muscles, respectively. ATP level was high （63 % ） in the caudal muscle which moves hard. Small amounts of adenosine was detected in the liver together with inosinic acid. It can be considered that there exist two metabolic pathways of ATP degradation in the liver of snakehead. The total amounts of free amino acids were 436.0,405.0 and 356.3 mg?（100g）^-1 in the dorsal, ventral and caudal muscles. Taurine and glycine were major free amino acids and accounted for 68% to 73%. Alanine and glutamic acids were detected in fairly large amounts. Spermine and spermidine were detected in fairly high amounts in the muscle. In the liver and gonad putrescine was detected in the highest amounts, followed by sperrnidine and spermine. Immediately after death glycogen level was about 0.5 % and fairly large amounts of glucose and glucose-6-phosphate, and large amounts of lactic acid were detected.