This study evaluates the inclusion of lycopene in the commercial diet for Nile Tilapia exposured to a stressor. For 60 days, ¢sh diet was supplemented with lycopene (600 mg kg À 1 diet) and at the end, subjected to con¢nement for 90 min. Zootechnical parameters (weight gain, speci¢c growth rate and intake), hormonal (cortisol level), biochemical {enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation level [thiobarbituric acid (TBARS)]} and physical (instrumental colour) parameters were also evaluated. Supplementation with lycopene did not alter zootechnical parameters. In uncon¢ned ¢sh, catalase (CAT) activity was reduced in the white muscle of ¢sh fed with lycopene; however, in red muscle, it was not altered. In ¢sh under con¢nement, plasma cortisol increased as well as CAT, glutathione reductase (GR) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in both muscles. Lipid peroxidation of the ¢llet also displayed higher values. However, the lycopene supplementation abolished the e¡ects of con¢nement available through cortisol levels, remaining unchanged in the above parameters, activity of CAT, GR and LDH in both muscles and TBARS content of the ¢llet; in addition, it did not induce alteration of ¢llet coloration. Inclusion of lycopene in commercial feed reduces the impact of con¢nement and does not alter the zootechnical parameters; additionally, no modi¢cation of the ¢llet colour from juvenile Nile tilapia was observed.