Carotenoid pigment content and skin microscopic appearance of cultured Ajamaru Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia ajamaruensis)

Abstract

The color of Ajamaru Rainbowfish (Melanotaenia ajamaruensis), which is adapted to the tank culture tends to decrease in brightness and become dull. It is necessary to improve the quality of color, especially through the diet. This study was conducted to determine the effect of the supplementation of carotenoid on the diet on the amount of carotenoid pigments and the microscopic appearance of the skin, fins, and scales of the Ajamaru rainbowfish. The research used a factorial design, consisting of two factors and three replications. The Factors were three different diets (carotenoid-free diet, astaxanthin, and lutein diet) as factor 1, and gender (male and female) as factor 2. The observed data were carotenoid content in fins, skin, and flesh; the microscopic appearance of fins and scales was measured at the end of the study. The results showed that the supplementation of astaxanthin and lutein to the feed increased the content of carotenoid pigments in the fins and scales of the Ajamaru rainbowfish; the highest values in the fins and skin of the male fish were 202.90 and 8.53 ppm, respectively. The effect of astaxanthin and lutein supplementation on color can be observed microscopically in the tissue of scales and fins.