The relationship between carotenoid type and skin color in the ornamental red zebra cichlid Maylandia estherae

This study examined the effects the dietary carotenoids astaxanthin, lutein, and Spirulina had in the skin color on red zebra cichlids (Maylandia estherae Konings 1995). We found that skin color was dependent on pigment type and concentration. Astaxanthin in the diet increased the red-orange color i...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAquaculture, Aquarium, Conservation & Legislation Vol. 7; no. 3; pp. 207 - 216
Main Authors Yedier, Serdar, Gümüs, Erkan, Livengood, Elisa J, Chapman, Frank A
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Cluj-Napoca Bioflux SRL 01.06.2014
Subjects
Agricultural economics
Aquaculture
Aquariums
Astaxanthin
Carotenoids
Cichlids
Color
Coloration
Colour
Diet
Economic benefits
Evolution & development
Fish
Fish skin
Fishing
Food
Freshwater fishes
Lutein
Maylandia estherae
Ornamental fish
Pigments
Polymorphism
Skin pigmentation
Speciation
Lake Malawi
Lake Victoria
Africa
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Summary:This study examined the effects the dietary carotenoids astaxanthin, lutein, and Spirulina had in the skin color on red zebra cichlids (Maylandia estherae Konings 1995). We found that skin color was dependent on pigment type and concentration. Astaxanthin in the diet increased the red-orange color in the skin of the red zebra cichlid while Spirulina intake increased the orange and yellow tones. Lutein imparted a light-yellow tint. The results suggest that carotenoids may play an important role in animal color polymorphism and speciation, which may help explain different empirical and theoretical perspectives on color diversity in fish. Appropriate use of a wide variety of carotenoids in the diet can bring large economic benefits to farmers as fishes with an assortment of coloration are a priority for fish enthusiasts.
ISSN:1844-8143
1844-9166