Effects of dietary astaxanthin source and light manipulation on the skin colour of Australian snapper Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) |
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| Authors: | Mark A Booth Rebecca J Warner-Smith Geoff L Allan & Brett D Glencross |
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| Institution: | NSW Fisheries, Port Stephens Fisheries Centre, Taylors Beach, NSW 2316, Australia;Department of Fisheries, Government of WA, Fremantle Maritime Centre, 1 Fleet Street, Fremantle, WA 6160, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Two experiments were conducted with Australian snapper Pagrus auratus (Bloch and Schneider, 1801). The first was aimed at determining the dietary level of astaxanthin that improved skin redness (CIE a*values) of farm‐reared snapper. Farmed snapper (ca. 600 g) fed a commercial diet without carotenoids were moved to indoor tanks and fed the same diet supplemented with 0, 36 or 72 mg astaxanthin kg?1 (unesterified form as Carophyll Pink?) for nine weeks. Skin redness (CIE a* values) continued to decrease over time in fish fed the diet without astaxanthin. Snapper fed the diet containing 72 mg astaxanthin kg?1 were significantly more red than fish fed the diet with 36 mg astaxanthin kg?1 three weeks after feeding, but skin redness was similar in both groups of fish after 6 and 9 weeks. The second experiment was designed to investigate the interactive effects of dietary astaxanthin source (unesterified form as Carophyll Pink? or esterified form as NatuRose?; 60 mg astaxanthin kg?1) and degree of shading (0%, 50% and 95% shading from incident radiation) on skin colour (CIE L*a*b*) and skin and fillet astaxanthin content of farmed snapper (ca. 800 g) held in 1 m3 floating cages. After 116 days, there were no significant interactions between dietary treatment and degree of shading for L*, a* or b* skin colour values or the concentration of astaxanthin in the skin. Negligible amounts of astaxanthin were recovered from fillet samples. The addition of shade covers significantly increased skin lightness (L*), possibly by reducing the effect of melanism in the skin, but there was no difference between the lightness of fish held under either 50% or 95% shade cover (P>0.05). |
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| Keywords: | Pagrus auratus skin colour astaxanthin shade |
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