Carotenoid supplementation in fish - husbandry

The aquaculture production of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was over 150 000 metric tons in 1989 (Kossman, 1989). The importance of satisfying consumers perceptions regarding quality in salmon has had a major impact on the aquaculture of this species. Consumers desire salmon flesh that is pink-to-red in color carotenoid pigments have been identified as the agents responsible for the pink/red coloration in salmon. Xanthophylls (oxycarotenoids) predominate in fish fin tissues and are often found as 

Carotenoids were originally supplemented to salmonids in the form of crustacean waste. More recently, synthetic canthaxanthin and astaxanthin have been fed separately or in combination (Torrissen, 1989). Torrissen et al. (1990) reported that when either of these carotenoids were fed at 35-75 mg/kg diet, this resulted in salmon that contained approximately 6 mg pigment per kg flesh when fed from smolt to marketable size. Approximately 4-5% of canthaxanthin fed is retained in salmon flesh retention in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus my kiss) is slightly higher at 6.5% (Hardy etaL. 1990). In addition, rainbow trout are pigmented faster 

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