Effects of dietary astaxanthin source and light manipulation on the skin colour of Australian snapper Pagrus auratus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)

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(TM)) 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(TM) or esterified form as NatuRose(TM); 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 m(3) 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).