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Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) analysis was used to predict proximate chemical composition and identify the rearing system of 236 European sea bass caught in four Italian fish farms (extensive ponds, semi-intensive ponds, intensive tanks and intensive sea-cages). Three types of sample preparation (intact fillet portions; whole fresh minced fillet; freeze-dried minced fillet) were compared. NIRS provided good reliability in the prediction of chemical composition of sea bass fillets but weaker results in crude protein prediction. NIRS prediction of chemical composition proved to be more accurate with fresh minced fillets than intact fillet portions. The merely slight improvement of NIRS accuracy with freeze-dried samples did not justify the latter treatment, which was necessary, however, to obtain reliable information on the sea bass rearing system.