Small yellow croaker (Larimichthys polyactis) is highly appreciated by consumers due to its high nutritional value, delicious taste and tender texture. However, the resource of wild-caught small yellow croaker (WYC) is becoming increasingly scarce, and marine cage-cultured small yellow croaker (CYC) has become an important source to meet the demand of population consumption. To understand the difference of edible quality between the muscles of CYC and WYC, the analysis of essential nutrients, nutritional value, textural quality and sensory evaluation were carried out. The total amino acid content of CYC muscle was slightly lower, while the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) were significantly higher than those of WYC muscle. The Na, Ca and P contents of CYC muscle were lower, while the K, Mg, Zn, Fe and As contents of WYC muscle were much higher. The sensory evaluation combined with texture profile analysis (TPA) and microscopic organizational structure analysis showed that the tissue of CYC muscle was relatively soft and tender. In terms of nutrition, safety and texture quality, CYC and WYC are both high-quality food sources suitable for human diet.